At 34 years old, the Kansas City Chiefs' all-time leading tackler, Derrick Johnson, doesn't have to prove anything to anyone.
Johnson, who is heading into his 13th year with the Chiefs, is already going down as one of the best defensive players in franchise history.
And it doesn't take long from watching him at practice—even one in shorts with predominantly rookies, which was the case over the last two days at Chiefs' training camp—to see that passion he still has for the game.
Johnson, who is working his way back from a torn Achilles tendon that cut short his 2016 season, can be heard from well over 100 yards away encouraging those around him and communicating what he sees to his teammates in the middle of the play.
Because he's coming off an injury—the same one that cost him most of the 2014 season—Johnson was able to practice for these first two days of camp.
"It's good to get out here with the rookies and knock off the cobwebs and get my feet wet a little before everybody else comes in," Johnson told the media after practice on Tuesday. "Mentally, I'm almost there, but physically, I'll get a little faster during camp."
Johnson spoke of his rehab process often over the past few months, and it's one he's familiar with having gone through it before, and his goal was always to be ready for camp.
The fact that Johnson didn't start camp on the PUP list is a great sign for a defense that's looking to improve in 2017, particularly against the run, and it's also another reason why no one should ever doubt what Johnson is capable of doing.
After all, it was only seven months and 18 days ago that Johnson ruptured his Achilles, and now, at 34 years old, he's back on the field running around and making plays.
"He comes out like he's 20 years old," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said of Johnson on Tuesday. "That's the way he practices. His attitude says everything."
Johnson had a nice pass breakup intended for Travis Kelce near the red zone during 7-on-7 work Tuesday morning.
"He did some good things today," Reid added. "I think he was testing it a little bit [Monday], and then today he was able to get out there and make some plays, and that's good to see."
According to Pro Football Focus, Johnson ranks No. 2 in the NFL over the past four years (2012-16) among off-ball linebackers in yards allowed per coverage snap.
It's a fancy way of saying he's good in coverage, and perhaps Tuesday was a small step towards him being closer to the player we've seen make four Pro Bowls over the past six years (2011-13, 2015).
Johnson's presence during this part of camp is also a good thing for the rookies on defense, who otherwise wouldn't have gotten the 13-year veteran and future Ring of Honor member in their room for these first couple of days.
"Young guys will ask me questions," Johnson explained. "They're picking my brain—seeing if I know my stuff, so I'm always on point with that. I enjoy it. Later in life, I'd like to become some kind of a coach, and this is a perfect opportunity out here with the young guys asking me all kinds of questions."
"They're trying to do this, and so we're going to do this," Johnson added of what he likes about the mental part of the game. "Just being a step ahead of the game. Being an older guy, I appreciate the mental part. I'm not a slow guy, but I'm not as fast as I used to be, so mentally, I've got to keep reacting quicker."
Johnson said he hasn't yet spoken with Reid yet about his desire to coach one day.
"He's an offensive-minded guy, but I've talked to (defensive coordinator) Bob Sutton and (linebackers coach) Gary Gibbs, mostly," Johnson explained. "It's a cool deal. Some people, even the great football players, have no interest in coaching. I've had a lot of success, but I enjoy the scheme and process of it all.
"The coaches go back and forth with me on some schemes at times, saying, 'Hey do you think this looks right? Or how do you feel about this?'
"It's a pretty cool atmosphere."
What level would Johnson want to coach?
"I thought about all of it," Johnson explained. "In high school, you're teaching the fundamentals, trying to get them off to college. It's also teaching them a little bit about life.
"In college, there's the recruiting part of it, so it's a year-around thing. In the NFL, it's even more of a business—as far as getting hired and fired. I'll definitely get into the coaching later on, not right when I get out, but I'll set it up in the right way."
Johnson said he could see himself as a coaching intern on the sidelines during a Chiefs' camp one day.
"Of course," Johnson laughed. "I would. This is a good atmosphere—a good platform."
It'd be a similar path that Chiefs' offensive coordinator Matt Nagy and new general manager Brett Veach have gone through. Both started as summer coaching interns with Reid back with the Eagles, and it's the same thing former NFL quarterback Michael Vick is doing for the Chiefs right now.
But before he puts too much thought to all of that, Johnson is ready to get back to football, which for him, means when the pads are back on Sunday morning.
Johnson said he's been cleared for contact, and that's when this all goes to another level.
"I'm a linebacker, you have to embrace those moments," Johnson explained of Sunday's padded practice. "I'll get back to talking noise to the running backs and talking noise to the offense.
"We can get our competitive juices going. I can't wait."
