Johnson hits his stride at NFL Combine in Indianapolis

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Armed with his bachelor's degree from Colorado State, Olabisi Johnson has aced many tests in his life. The one he's undergoing this week, however, is unlike any he's undertaken before.

Johnson was chosen to participate in the biggest job interview of an athlete's life, the NFL Combine, which got underway this week at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind. There are tests of skill, strength, speed, mental acuity and mental endurance, to go along with media interviews and a crash course on the business side of being an NFL player.

If his four years at Colorado State weren't enough to prepare him, "Bisi" has made himself even more ready by training for the past two months at Michael Johnson Performance in McKinney, Texas.

"Michael Johnson performance was a great experience for me in preparing for the Combine," Johnson said this week. "I am in the best shape of my life and I feel like they not only prepared me physically but also mentally for the Combine."

Most fans are familiar with the on-field workouts they can watch on NFL Network, but it's often the unseen portions of this week-long NFL job fair that are most grueling—and can significantly impact a prospect's draft status. Johnson has no shortage of resources to prepare him for that, including recent teammates like Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Gallup.

"I've talked to Mike a little bit about the whole process and he told me how mentally taxing the combine is," Johnson shared. "But he also told me that it's an opportunity for coaches to get to know you. They've seen you play football but now they want to find out what type of person you are. They will ask you some difficult questions and try to see how you do under pressure. At the end of the day you just have to be yourself and relax."

There's little doubt NFL personnel officials and coaches will like what they learn about Johnson the person. Nicknamed "The Standard" by CSU head coach Mike Bobo, Johnson has long established a reputation for being coachable, focused on the details and attentive to running every route and every drill the right way. That discipline and consistency has helped Johnson develop a game that caught scouts' eyes throughout the 2018 season.

"My greatest strengths are my knowledge of the game and my routes," Johnson said. "I understand what defenses are trying to do and how they try to disguise their coverages. I take a lot of pride in my route-running and I think teams will be very impressed to see me in and out of my breaks."

Johnson played in 49 games in his CSU career and ranks 10th in program history with 2,019 receiving yards on 125 receptions (16.2) with 11 TDs. He debuted as a true freshman in 2015 and increased his production each season, culminating in a 54-reception, 796-yard season in 2018, averaging 14.7 yards per catch and scoring four touchdowns.

He arrived in Indianapolis on Wednesday and has undergone orientation, medical evaluations, measurements, testing and team-by-team interviews. Those interviews will continue today, along with psychological testing, an NFLPA meeting, media availability and bench press.

Fans will have the chance to watch his on-field workout Saturday, with NFL Network coverage beginning at 8 a.m. MT.

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