The Facts: Johnson believes he can reverse time, find the fountain of youth and pull his soon-to-be 29-year-old body to the mountaintop once again. Age is just a number, after all, and there’s nothing anyone can say to him that will alter his truth: He will be a great running back for the Jets this season. "These days, backs are only rushing for 1,100 or 1,200 yards,” Johnson told the Daily News. “So it’s not hard to be the top guy.”

Diehards Line: As Daily News staffer Manish Mehta put it, "Egos die hard in the NFL, where everyone is a legend in his own mind. Johnson was the rare guy who walked on water five short years ago with a magical 2,000-yard season. He was something to behold back then, a human blur who probably had a jet-pack strapped to his back if anyone bothered to check underneath his jersey and pads. ..." But he's not that guy anymore. He's had 1,742 career carries and a noticeable decline in production. And he's still the most dynamic offensive weapon at Rex Ryan’s disposal in 2014. The Jets believe that rumors of his demise are premature. It'll be interesting to see how much difference there is between Johnson's bravado, the glowing early training camp reviews and the reality that will come when the snaps mean something come September.