Zeandae Johnson Eager to Get Started With Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings made it official on Wednesday, announcing they had signed Cal defensive lineman Zeandae Johnson to a free-agent contract.

Johnson himself disclosed that shortly after the draft ended on Saturday, saying on his Twitter account that he had signed with the Vikes and would be joining Cal defensive back Cam Bynum, the team’s fourth-round draft choice, as a rookie in Minneapolis.

But there was no formal acknowledgment until Wednesday and shortly thereafter, Johnson met in a Zoom call with the Bay Area media.

“Just to make an impact on the team somehow, whether that’s special teams, just getting on the field and some way contributing to a win,” he said of his ambitions as a rookie. “That’s my intention. Just continue to work hard, maybe go up a few pounds here or there. Continue to work hard, stay in shape, and download the playbook.”

One thing that lured Johnson to the Vikings was the chance to learn under defensive line coach Andre Patterson, considered one of the best in the business. Johnson said it was “a dream come true.”

Johnson called him “A defensive line guru. He is a genius and he develops talent like nobody’s ever seen. See what he does with his mid-round, late-round draft picks. What he does with his players. It’s undeniable.”

The 6-4, 290-pound Johnson naturally relishes the chance to have Bynum on the same roster. “It’s not every day you get the opportunity to play in the NFL, let alone with someone you know,” he said. “Coming into this thing, usually you come in and you don’t know anybody. You just try to get acclimated to people you don’t know. It’s cool to come in with a familiar face.

 “We’re going to be rookies together. It’s going to be a good time. I know me and Cam are going to have some good laughs up there.”

Having spent six years on the campus, the 23-year-old Johnson was almost  as much a Berkeley landmark as the Campanile. He played 41 games with 18 starts and totaled 59 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. He was named defensive player of the game after Cal’s win over Illinois in the 2019 Redbox Bowl.

And he feels his Cal legacy will consist of more than numbers. The Bears defense is a considerably more accomplished unit now than it was when Johnson first set foot on the campus. And he had a lot to do with that.

“First and foremost I am grateful to be in the Bay Area and be a Cal Bear and have the experience I had with that program,: he said. “I am happy to look back on it and see the growth, see the friends I made, the connections I made, the people I met and I am overall grateful for that. And I am most grateful to leave this team, leave this program in a better spot than what it was when I got there.

 “Defensively we were not very strong, but when I walk away, I can look back at guys like Daniel Scott and Kuony Deng,” he said. “I am proud I left them in a good position, and left them an example of how to do things. That extra year with the guys I got to at least show the freshmen coming in, this is how we do things, …..that is one great thing about my Cal experience.’

Besides becoming a pro football player, Johnson’s life will change in one more dramatic way this summer. He and his girlfriend Cass Zazueta are due to become parents Aug.6. That is when Zazueta is expected to give birth to daughter Amari.

Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

Johnson at the Red Box Bowl

“It’s something I’m prepared for, maturity-wise,” Johnson said of the prospect of parenthood. “I feel like it gave me a new fire, a new hunger. Now I have not only my hunger, but her hunger, too.

“(It’s) a double-whammy on the rookie season, but I think I’m going to get through it just fine.”

Cal offensive lineman Jake Curhan has also reportedly signed a free agent contract, his with Seattle. The team has yet to make an announcement, but one could come any day.

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