What is going on with Kerryon Johnson’s hair?

By now, everyone is aware of the rookie sensation’s ability to run the football. After Sunday’s 158-yard game against the Miami Dolphins, he has become one of the Lions’ breakout players this season.

But the hair. What is the deal with his hair? It’s a bit — shall we say — unruly? The Lions’ other running backs are pleading — maybe even begging — for Johnson to get a trim.

“Sometimes it’s smushed down,” LeGarrette Blount said Thursday. “Sometimes it’s crooked. Sometimes one side is picked out. Sometimes one side is not.

“Just like I have to keep the dreads fresh; I’ve got to get them done. But obviously my hair’s like this, so it’s easier for me to keep my hair intact than it is for him.”

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Blount and the other running backs aren’t asking much, just for Johnson to keep his hair “nice and neat and well-rounded.”

Even Johnson had a little fun on Twitter with all the ribbing he has received about his hair.

But now there’s a problem. Johnson is playing really well. In fact, too well, for his teammates to criticize anything.

Johnson’s 6.4 yards per carry average is second best in the NFL, and he could be poised to have another strong performance Sunday against Seattle. The Lions are coming off their best rushing performance since 1997, and the Seahawks have the league’s 24th-ranked run defense, which allows 120.7 rushing yards per game.

“We just want him to go get a haircut,” Blount said. “That’s what we want him to do. But now we can’t argue that because he’s had a 100-yard game and a 150-yard game. So we’ll let him do his thing.”

That means Blount and his pals have had to compromise on Johnson’s hair.

“At this point,” Blount said, “I just want whatever length it is right now, I just want him to keep it at that length.”

There’s also a chance that, like Samson, Blount might just derive his prowess from the length of his locks. Blount isn’t sure. But he’s not taking a chance, either.

“Eh, whatever he did, whatever his hair length was in these last few weeks, in these last couple weeks, we want to keep it there,” Blount said. “I ain’t saying I’m superstitious, but I’m just saying. I would rather not test it.”

Contact Carlos Monarrez at cmonarrez@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @cmonarrez.

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