A defender raced toward him, and just as he approached, Johnson cut up the field and effortlessly slipped into the end zone. The crowd roared. And the Lions' newest savior trotted to the sidelines.

So starved are Lions fans for hope that every time Johnson touched the ball last night at Ford Field, they cheered wildly. When the ball was thrown high or wide, they booed.

Roughly 8,000 fans watched the Lions practice at the stadium. They shouted encouragement, chanted "Let's Go Lions" and buzzed anytime a player got hit. But mostly, they kept track of Johnson, the $64-million rookie playing in his second practice — he reported to training camp Friday morning.

Though Johnson was the center of attention, it was Roy Williams who made most of the night's highlight plays, including a spectacular, outstretched, tip-to-himself grab as he fell out of the end zone.

So, what did Williams, arguably the team's best offensive player, think of the love affair with Johnson?

"If was a great feeling," he said. "He brings a lot of hype to this organization. He's going to be a heck of a player."

Williams said he's spent this year in training camp trying to improve his focus.

"Play in and play out," he said, "that is what I need to work on."

Before he made the end zone grab, he'd dropped an easy ball on a slant route that would have also been a touchdown.

"I had to tell my teammates I owed them one," he said.

As for Johnson's presence and whether it is pushing Williams, he said no.