Pitt's Nahki Johnson shows growth behind Charlie Partridge's 'hard' coaching method

Published August 4, 2023, 5:04PM
When Nahki Johnson joined Pitt football in 2021, he quickly learned that defensive line coach Charlie Partridge has different approaches between his roles as a recruiter and a coach. It took some getting used to, but now, as Johnson enters his junior season at Pitt, he’s grown to understand the importance of that difference and help Pitt’s newer defensive linemen handle it.
After the Panthers’ third practice of summer camp on Friday at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, Johnson recalled a conversation he had with Partridge before Pitt began their spring practices.
“Before spring ball, we had a serious talk,” Johnson said of Partridge. “When he recruited me, I wouldn’t say I saw him as my friend, but I thought maybe he’d have some sympathy for me or something. But that wasn’t the case. He coaches hard.
“At camp, we call him ‘Hulk,’ ” Johnson continued about Partridge. “Normally, he’s a cool, chill person. But when he’s coaching, he transforms into this big coach. He’s not mean, but he coaches you the way you’re supposed to be coached. A lot of people aren’t used to that. I just told him we can keep it straight business when we’re working. Everything he says, I don’t take it to heart because he just wants the best for me.”
Johnson, a 6-foot-2, 255-pound defensive end from West Mifflin High School, has developed into one of the more promising young stars on Pitt’s defense. He was a four-star recruit out of high school and has been waiting for his chance to make plays on the defense while the Panthers had a deep group of defensive linemen over the past three seasons.
Now, Johnson recognizes he still needs to push himself even further to play at the high level Pitt’s used to seeing on its defensive line.
“When coach Partridge and I had that talk, I thought to myself that I had to really lock in,” Johnson recalled. “When I’m being coached hard, I have to remember I’m an emotional person, but I’m a football player. I have to learn how to be coached hard if I want to play at the highest level.”
The Panthers finished with the most sacks in college football last season, which sets a high bar for this current group of defensive linemen to meet. But that’s not something that intimidates Johnson or this group.
“We feel like they’re not talking about our D-line enough,” Johnson said. “Between me, Dayon Hayes, Nate Temple, Samuel Okunlola and everyone, we’re ready to step up in our roles and be dominant.”
And for younger defensive linemen like freshmen Isaiah Neal, Johnson wants to be a voice who can help them understand Partridge’s coaching methods.
“I did it today,” Johnson said about explaining Partridge’s coaching methods to freshmen. “I had to pull a guy to the side and explain that
everything that was being said was just to make them better. You might feel it’s harsh now, but if you embrace it, you’ll look back later in your career and see real progress.”