Coach Jim Reid pushes Cam Johnson through his workout.

When new Virginia coach Mike London came to town, it was obvious that that there would have to be several position changes on the defensive side of the ball to accommodate the scheme change from a 3-4 alignment to a 4-3. Before spring practice began, figuring out who those players would be might have involved planting a microphone in London’s office as he met with players – with the exception, perhaps, of Cam Johnson.

Even as media and others speculated that former coach Al Groh would be fired during the 2009 season, simultaneous discussion began about what Johnson might look like as a 4-3 defensive end. Johnson’s freakish athleticism complementing an impressive 6’4″, 255-pound frame made him an easy candidate to make that move from outside linebacker.

...