Former Kentucky DB Lonnie Johnson Jr. kicked out of joint practice for hit on Jace Sternberger
By Adam Spencer
Published:
The Houston Texans and Green Bay Packers held a joint practice on Monday, and it didn’t end particularly well.
During the session, Texans rookie CB Lonnie Johnson Jr. — a second-round pick out of Kentucky — got sent off the field early for a hit he made on former Texas A&M TE Jace Sternberger.
Reports stated that the hit made Sternberger’s helmet come off, but added that it was a clean hit from all appearances:
Texans rookie corner Lonnie Johnson hit on former Texas A&M tight end Jace Sternberger led up to the brief practice dustup. Drills resumed
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) August 5, 2019
CB Lonnie Johnson Jr (@Lonnie30johnson) with a clean hit on former @AggieFootball TE Jace Sternberger and the Packers didn't like it, causing tempers to flare for a few seconds.
— Mark Berman (@MarkBerman_) August 5, 2019
After the practice, coach Bill O’Brien said he felt it was probably best to get Johnson off the field before things escalated:
Bill O'Brien on Lonnie Johnson being booted from remainder of practice after hitting Jace Sternberger: '"That's between me and Lonnie, it's not a big deal. It was a play that developed over there, and it was time for Lonnie to head to the showers."
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) August 5, 2019
Eventually, Johnson responded on Twitter, saying he isn’t trying to hurt anybody:
Not trying to hurt nobody just wanna be great ??‼️ https://t.co/tv734EE9TH
— Lonnie Johnson jr. (@Lonnie30johnson) August 5, 2019
Sternberger also weighed in, saying there were no hard feelings between him and Johnson:
Jace Sternberger on the hit from @Lonnie30johnson 'That’s just football. I’m fine. It was more that I got the wind knocked out of me. I still think it’s football. It could’ve been the exact other way. Everybody’s playing aggressive and intense, so it’s a good thing.'
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) August 5, 2019
Practices between two teams are nice to break up the monotony of training camp, but sometimes they lead to scuffles like this.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
