If defensive backs live on an island, Tennessee starting strong safety Brandon Johnson must live on Gilligan's Island.

Because of his sense of humor, it's hard to imagine Johnson getting down in the dumps for too long. That makes him well suited to playing "on an island" — a coaching term for being isolated in one-on-one defensive situations.

Vols' secondary coach Larry Slade says even the best defensive backs get burned, and there's no time to wallow in self-pity. Just dust yourself off and get ready for the next play.

That gung-ho attitude was part of what made UT strong safety Gibril Wilson so good. He was a fifth-round draft pick of the New York Giants.

Johnson obviously has some big shoes to fill.

If you don't think it can be lonely being put in one-on-one situations in the open field, Johnson says try taking the field against elusive UT freshman quarterback Brent Schaeffer.

"It's almost a no-win situation with No. 7 (Schaeffer's number)," Johnson, a junior from Tulsa, Okla., said after Saturday's scrimmage.

"If you run up to defend against the run you can get burned. But if you stay back, he can take it upfield and hurt you that way, too. You have to be real disciplined."

In the Vols' Wednesday scrimmage, Johnson led the squad with nine tackles. In Saturday's scrimmage at Neyland Stadium, he recovered a fumble and made two tackles. Yet he admitted he also "needed to do some things better."

You won't see him hanging his head. That's not his style.

"A lot of people walk around all serious all the time," he says.

"I know there are times to be serious but life has so many troubles that you need to look at what you have and enjoy life."

Johnson is one of those rare people who can laugh at himself as easily as he laughs at others. For instance, there was the time he was celebrating his birthday with a bunch of his childhood friends.

"We were all watching a movie and I fell asleep first," Johnson recalled. "Well, whoever falls asleep first is at the mercy of everybody else. When I woke up, I looked down and they had painted all my fingernails this reddish color.

"I didn't know how to get it off. Finally I got some of my mom's fingernail polish remover and it came right off."

One of Johnson's pranks occurred in an ice cream shop in Tulsa a few years ago. As they say on TV, don't try this at home.

After noticing some paramedics sitting at a table nearby, Johnson told his friends to watch as he grabbed his throat and pretended as if he was choking.

"The paramedics jumped up and got all dramatic," Johnson said. "Man, they got so mad when they found out I wasn't really choking.

"Most of the time I'm in a joking mode, but I get in a serious mode on the field because I want to win. That's when it all changes as far as my personality.

"I get my laid-back passive side from my mom, but I get my serious side and stubbornness from my dad."

Two weeks before the Sept. 5 season opener, Johnson's serious side is showing

He realizes when you fall asleep in the secondary, the consequences are worse than getting your fingernails painted red.

Gary Lundy may be reached at 865-342-6274 or lundy@knews.com.