SAUL LOEB/ Arizona Daily Wildcat After five seasons in the desert calling the shots for the UA offense, former starting quarterback Jason Johnson will be looking to move on into the NFL or wherever else he can throw a football.

Perhaps one of the most disarming athletes on campus, Jason Johnson wrapped up his senior season as the UA's single-season passing leader, with 3,327 yards. But records meant little to Johnson this season, as the team stumbled to a 4-8 record and capped off the second-straight season without a Pac-10 win at home. To make matters worse, Johnson and his teammates had to weather a storm of publicity surrounding their coach John Mackovic and his ability to retain his job despite a near-mutiny by almost half the team.

Through it all, however, Johnson kept a bright outlook. He knows that his legacy as one of the best passers and individuals in the history of the program is safe, and that means more to him than any statistical records he may hold.

Now that his career's over and his life is ahead of him, Johnson sat down with the Daily Wildcat and discussed many moments of his career as a Wildcat.

WILDCAT: Are you playing in any senior bowl games?

JOHNSON: I'm going to this Paradise Bowl, up in Utah. It's the Pac-10, Mountain West and WAC All-Stars versus Big Ten and Big 12. It's all the guys that aren't in the East-West Shrine game. I think me and Ray Wells are going to that game. The bad thing for me is there are so many good quarterbacks this year. I've heard I'm the No. 1 alternate for the Hula Bowl in Hawaii, which would be really cool.

WILDCAT: What are Bobby Wade's chances in the NFL?

JOHNSON: You look at his numbers, and so many of his balls are underneath balls or comeback routes, and then he shakes a tackle and gets 10 more. I think the key for Bobby will be his 40 time. If he can go out and put up a great 40 time, he could shoot up from the late second or early third round to pretty high. Bobby's too good of a football player to not get a shot in the NFL.

WILDCAT: Do you have an NFL future?

JOHNSON: I'll probably be a late-round draft pick or a free agent. Really, what I'm looking to do is get into a camp and have a chance to show a team what I can do. I think I can probably make a team. I'm smart enough to pick up an offense like that, I think my arm strength is adequate, if I get a little bit faster I can make a squad. Everyone I've talked to has told me I have a pretty good shot of making it into the NFL somewhere. I could be like an A.J. Feeley-type guy. And then it's just up to me. I don't think there's any better job than backup quarterback in the NFL.

WILDCAT: Do you believe the situation with Mackovic will ever be the same?

JOHNSON: It was weird for me because I didn't even know about that meeting with President Likins until after it happened. I stopped by the football office and a reporter came up to me and told me. A lot of guys hadn't quite gotten over Coach Tomey leaving. I think Coach Mackovic is not Dick Tomey and whether or not that is good or bad, I think guys were still expecting a Dick Tomey, when that is not John Mackovic. I think Coach Mackovic can be very successful here. One question I asked myself was ÷ does your coach give you a chance to get to the Rose Bowl and win games? And he does.

WILDCAT: Do you think that Mackovic will be able to play down what happened this year and be able to recruit and get the program back to where it was in the '90s?

JOHNSON: I really do. The main thing that Coach Mackovic understands is that a head coach these days means so much more that X's and O's. You have to be a psychologist, a friend, a father figure all wrapped into one. I really do think that he can motivate guys. I think all the young guys trust him and are loyal to him.

WILDCAT: Overall, what's your impression of the season?

JOHNSON: They always say that your senior season is the one that you remember the most and it has been a roller coaster season for us, which has been marred by a lot of off the field distractions, as well as on the field successes. You look back and you wish you would have won more games, but looking back I had a great time. I could have not asked for my career to go any better.

WILDCAT: Does it bother you that the Cal win is attributed to the turmoil and the resolution?

JOHNSON: I think the Cal win is a glimpse of what the season could have been. The major thing that a lot of guys were disappointed about was they didn't feel free in our program to go out and be themselves. They felt constricted. In that game, we went all out. A lot of guys on the way back on the plane were like ÎWhy didn't we do this every week?' That's what you're disappointed with. I don't know the reason why players felt that way because if I had an answer, we would have done better. I wish I had an answer, but I don't.

WILDCAT: Will the assistant coaches be back next season?

JOHNSON: I don't know what's going to happen in the off-season with the assistant coaches. I haven't heard any rumors and stuff but I think the assistant coaches have done a great job being loyal to Coach Mackovic. I think it would have been really easy for the assistant coaches to just say "forget this." They all fought for him to the very end and they could have easily not done that.

WILDCAT: Batman or Robin? You or Bobby?

JOHNSON: I would have to be Batman. I'm always calling the shots. I tell Bobby where to go and he does it. I think it's not as much Batman and Robin but rather two equal crime fighters, if there is an analogy for that. Maverick and Goose?

WILDCAT: Who was the one person who you became friends with who you never expected to?

JOHNSON: It would have to be David Hinton. We just come from such different backgrounds that it's amazing that we're friends. We worked out together all summer and I think it helped both our games.