Arvell Reese wanted to 'play like Chris Johnson' before moving to LB

Arvell Reese was looking to be the next Chris Johnson before he switched from running back to linebacker. Before the 2026 NFL Draft, Reese was speaking to On3 and a group of reporters at a Raising Cane’s event in Pittsburgh. He was asked if there was one player he studied while growing up to help him with his game.

“Mine was Chris Johnson, Arvell Reese said. “I used to play running back, so I used to want to play like Chris Johnson, for sure.”

It would have been interesting to see Reese in the backfield since he was a dominant pass rusher at Ohio State. And if he plays anything like Johnson, he will likely have a long NFL career.

Johnson played in the NFL from 2008 to 2017 and spent time with the Tennessee Titans, New York Jets, and Arizona Cardinals. In his career, Johnson was selected to the Pro Bowl three times, named to the All-Pro First Team in 2009, and won the Offensive Player of the Year Award in that same season. He rushed for 9,651 yards and 55 touchdowns in 130 career games.

Arvell Reese has a ‘high standard for myself’

Johnson rushed for at least 1,000 in his first six NFL seasons. When he was named Offensive Player of the Year in 2009, the former East Carolina star rushed for 2,006 yards and 14 touchdowns while also recording 503 receiving yards and two TDs.

Despite not being a running back, Reese is looking to make the same impact as Johnson when he kicks off his NFL career this fall. The New York Giants selected the former Buckeye at No. 5 overall in this year’s draft after recording 10 sacks at Ohio State last season. Before the draft, Reese talked about the high expectations he has for himself.

“I’ve got a high standard for myself,” Reese said. “I got high expectations for myself already. It’s been like that since I was at O State. At O State, they pushed that on us. It’s nothing but just trusting my training and trusting what I know.”