CHANGE OF HEART Packed with a new attitude, Johnson vows to return in 2002 By Rusty Burson

Texas A&M senior wide receiver Bethel Johnson had been hit in the midsection on a screen pass, but he thought nothing of it. The hit was not that memorable, not that out of the ordinary.

So, Johnson initially thought it must have been something he had eaten in the pregame meal. Yeah, he thought, the cramping under his ribs must have been gas pains. He simply winced and went on.

Bethel Johnson injured his spleen in the Wyoming game on Sept. 6.

Johnson, after all, was in the midst of a tight game and one of the better individual performances of his career. He already had a key reception for a two-point conversion and had knifed through the Wyoming defense for a team-high six catches.

No gas pains were going to sideline him. Unfortunately for Johnson, however, these were no gas pains.

Following the Aggies’ 28-20 victory over the Cowboys on Sept. 6, Johnson entered the locker room, and as his adrenaline began to subside, the cramping began to intensify.

Team medical officials began probing on Johnson and decided that he would not be leaving Laramie with the rest of the team.

"They decided that we needed see if it was a ruptured spleen, to see if I had any internal bleeding," Johnson said. "They decided to keep me there that night because I was in a lot of pain and they didn’t want me to get on the plane."

Initially, the diagnosis was a bruised spleen, and doctors had hoped that the injury would heal on its own. It would not, as Johnson quickly realized.

He and team physician Dr. Jesse Parr returned to College Station on the Friday following the Thursday night game at Wyoming. And by Sunday, Johnson was in severe pain again.

"Initially, they were trying to save my spleen, so they didn’t take it out in case it went back down, but it didn’t," Johnson said. "I went back to my dorm that Saturday evening, and I was feeling pain and I didn’t have any pain relievers. I had a patch on for pain, but it wasn’t strong enough.

"Then on Sunday, I had to go back into the hospital. And on Monday morning, the doctor came in and told me he had to take it out. I had 102-degree fever, and they told me my spleen was dying. I didn’t really even know what the spleen was or its function. When they explained it to me, I felt a little nervous about it.

"The doctors told me that the spleen is like a filter," Johnson continued. "It filters out bacteria and infection. So, I had to take antibiotics for a couple of weeks and he said my body would adjust and find another way to do it. But I’m fine now, and I’m ready to start working my way back."

Johnson is now without a spleen and 30 pounds lighter (from 195 to 165) than when he went to Wyoming. But he is equipped with a remarkably positive attitude about his current situation and his future at Texas A&M.

The major transformation Johnson has undergone has much less to do with his physical condition than it does with his mental outlook.

Johnson has relied on his faith and teammates to make it through this fall.

Whereas once he was brooding, now he is delightfully upbeat. The cocky, me-first attitude he had when he first arrived at Texas A&M is now as much a part of his past as his spleen.

Johnson is now an humble, team-oriented player who is approaching his rehabilitation with vigor and peace of mind.

"People thought I would be depressed in the hospital, but I wasn’t," Johnson said. "I had to explain to them that my faith in God is too strong. I know God has a purpose for me and that He will use this injury in a glorious way.

"Being a Christian, I know God has a plan in my life. Whatever it is, I accept it. Hopefully, I’ll have an even better year next year with more appreciation for playing this game that I love and being at Texas A&M. I have faith that it will all turn out for the best."

Johnson is certainly determined to come back in 2002. A partial qualifier in 1998, he is eligible for a redshirt season. And he can’t wait to start putting the weight back on and begin preparing for another senior season.

"My appetite is coming back," Johnson said. "I’m gradually gaining the weight back, although I can’t start lifting for about two months. But I’m definitely going to come back strong. I can graduate in December of next year, anyway. So, this injury may turn out to be a good thing. I’m determined to make it a good thing."

Johnson, however, makes it perfectly clear that he isn’t giving up on this season. While he will not play the rest of the year, he is helping A&M’s current group of receivers in any way he can.

A couple of years ago, an injury like this may have caused Johnson to distance himself from teammates. But a more mature Johnson is now drawing closer to his teammates.

"My teammates still respect me, and they give me a lot of support," Johnson said. "They know how bad I want to be out there. When I talk to them, I see it in their eyes. They want to do it for me, because I play the game for everybody. They know I appreciate the fact that they play hard for me.

"I talk to them all the time, especially the receivers. We’re a close group, and they haven’t let me down. I asked them to play hard for me, and I love those guys for doing that. I’d do the same for them.

"When Jamaar (Taylor) scored his first touchdown against Oklahoma State, I had just gotten out of the hospital. He came to me and said, ‘That is for you, my first touchdown I’m dedicating to you.’ And if I can help those guys out in any way – with advice or anything else – I’ll be there for them."

Johnson, who had 42 catches last year and was expected to be the go-to receiver this season, says he has no doubt that the best is yet to come for him. He’s looked at the schedule for next year and knows the amount of talented performers the Aggies will have back in 2002.

He can envision a Big 12 championship, and he is determined to play a key role in attaining it.

"I have a totally different perspective on things now," Johnson said. "I am so thankful that I’m going to have another chance to play football, and I’m not going to take anything for granted. I don’t know what the future holds for me, but I’m looking forward to being part of a championship here at Texas A&M. I want to be a leader, and hopefully, my attitude and my work ethic and me coming back will be an inspiration to others."

Perhaps so. It’s already quite apparent that, while Bethel Johnson has no spleen, he does have plenty of heart.