Jeron Johnson when he was with the Seattle Seahawks during Super Bowl XLIX. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

RICHMOND, Va. — Jeron Johnson hasn’t spent much of his life on the East Coast and it shows.

When asked what the biggest difference was between a training camp run by Pete Carroll versus Jay Gruden’s camp, his response was, “Humidity is the only thing different, man — Seattle was right on the lake.”

If you were hoping the Redskins new strong safety would bring a secret winning formula with him from the Seahawks, you are out of luck. What Johnson does promise to bring is hard work and focus.

“It’s football, at the end of the day, you can’t do too much crazy stuff,” Johnson said. For better or worse, training camps are much less intense than they were in the past — most teams won’t even put on pads until the second week of camp.

CBA rules may have made summer practices easier on players, but that hasn’t changed the expectations Johnson has for his new teammates.

When asked if the defense is coming into the season with a chip on their shoulders, Johnson replied, “definitely.” Johnson knows that he, and the other new additions on defense, have something to prove. “I was in the shadow of two great safeties [in Seattle], this is my opportunity to show what I have been working on these past four years.”

Speaking of great safeties, I asked Johnson what he has to do to help give the secondary an identity that offenses would fear. Intimidation has been lacking at the back end of the defense since Sean Taylor’s murder, and the Skins will look to Johnson, Duke Ihenacho, and Dashon Goldson to bring that swagger back to the team this year. “First off, I don’t think there will ever be another Sean Taylor — he’s one of the greatest to ever play the position,” Johnson stated.

“We aren’t the [Legion of Boom], we need to create our own identity – figure out how to gel, and work together, and I feel we’ll be great.”

Coming from the best defensive secondary in the game to one that has struggled for years is not a challenge that Johnson is taking lightly.

When watching him on the field, he carries himself like a ten-year vet, rather than the fourth-year player that he is — in this morning’s session he ran with the first-team defense and could often be seen slapping his teammates on the helmet and talking to them after plays.

Because a fan’s first NFL interview should never be too serious, I had to get Johnson’s thoughts on a few other pressing matters. In the ongoing hip-hop feud between Drake and Meek Mill, Johnson stands with Drake. “Meek should have come a lot harder with that response to ‘Back to Back,’” Johnson laughed. “I wish Drake should have responded to that line Kendrick hit him with,” but if he isn’t going to do that, “. . . he should [finish off] Meek with a three-peat.”

Perhaps someone can introduce the Skins new defensive backs coach, Perry Fewell, to a Drake track or two. When asked about the coach’s methods of using old-school music to teach the secondary lessons, Johnson said, “We need to update his iPod — lot of old stuff on that playlist.”

Johnson went on to compliment the coach and the calmness he brings to the secondary, but reiterated, “I have my own methods for getting prepared. I know what I need to do.”

Will Jeron Johnson be the intimidator the Redskins so desperately need at strong safety?

First, he needs to win the position battle with Ihenacho. If he does so, look for No. 20 to bring some pride back to the Washington secondary.

Patrick celebrated his first day of Fan on the Field on Friday, taking in training camp practice from the media side of the viewing divide. Follow him on Twitter @RubGun and email your tips, takes, and topic suggestions to cannon1067@gmail.com.