Gartrell Johnson might have been surprised to be a New York Giant, but he has made the most of his stay in New Jersey thus far.

Johnson, a fourth-round pick by the San Diego Chargers in the 2009 draft, had high hopes heading into Chargers training camp after his 1,476 rushing yards and 12 TDs earned him First Team All-Mountain West Conference honors at Colorado State. When the Chargers waived him with the idea of moving him to their practice squad, the Giants grabbed him off waivers when they suffered injuries to a depleted backfield.

With Derrick Ward having left for free agent bucks in Tampa Bay and third running back D.J. Ware injured in the first game of the season, Johnson has supplied important depth to the Giants in the backfield.

He has been active for seven games and played in two, collecting 39 yards rushing on 11 carries (3.5 yards per carry) with long runs of 11 yards in each game.

With Ware back in the picture, Johnson has been the team’s fourth back, ready to go if there is another injury.

His strength as a running back stem from his size and power as a runner. At 5-10, 219 pounds, he is an excellent downhill runner and a very good blocker.

Running back Gartrell Johnson burst onto the national stage as a senior at Colorado State University in 2008. His 1,476 rushing yards and 12 TDs earned him First Team All-Mountain West Conference honors.

On December 20, 2008, Johnson burned bright with 375 total yards (285 rushing) on his way to MVP honors in the Rams' 40-35 win over Fresno State in the New Mexico Bowl. His 77-yard romp to the end zone with 1:46 to play effectively clinched the game for the Rams and put him on the draft board for any NFL team looking for a strong back with breakaway potential.

Going into the 2009 NFL Draft Johnson's name was rising on draft charts, though he still was expected to go in the later rounds. The Chargers took Johnson with the 135th pick overall in the 4th round, making him the draft’s first sleeper.

His strengths as a running back stem from his size and power as a runner. At 5-10, 219 pounds, he is an excellent downhill runner and a very good blocker.

He will have a chance to learn his craft from all-world running back LaDainian Tomlinson as well as super-fast dynamo Darren Sproles. Johnson will be part of a very deep San Diego backfield that also includes Michael Bennett and second year RB Jacob Hester.

Johnson said he is looking forward to learning from LT.

“It’s going to be amazing learning from a guy like LaDainian Tomlinson,” he said. “I just want to soak up everything he does, he’s been on top for a long time and he can do it all, run, catch, even pass. He’s going to be a Hall of Famer so it has to be a positive experience for me.”