Cincinnati Bengals RB Rudi Johnson missed five games of the 2007 season due to a nagging hamstring injury. Now that the eight-year veteran is fully recovered, he's chomping at the bit to get back on the playing field and make a statement for the Bengals in 2008.

During a one-on-one interview with Johnson in the locker room of OTA's last week, he talked about his expectations for the '08 season and the disappointments of last season.

"To have a great year, that's all," he said. "When I go out there on the field everything will take care of itself. I'm going to take care of myself and make sure every day that I am trying to get better. If I handle those things, I'll be straight."

The Bengals finished the '07 season with a 7-9 record and the offense failed to click on all cylinders. Many believe that the team's offensive struggles were due in larger part to Johnson's absence in the backfield.

Despite a solid performance by backup Kenny Watson, who rushed for 763 yards and seven touchdowns in Johnson's place, the offense just didn't seem to be quite the same. There is no question that the threat of Johnson in the backfield was missing.

It was difficult for the running back to watch his teammates from the sideline and it became increasingly frustrating for him knowing that he couldn't contribute.

"It was tough," Johnson said. "I have never had an injury like that in my career. You go through that and you have to sit and watch and not be 100 percent the whole year. That was tough. For me not to be in the position to help my team the way I wanted to was definitely tough, and I'm not happy about it. I'm not going to be happy until the season opens this year. So I've put last season behind me."

Johnson is capable of doing some serious damage to a team's run defense when healthy. Prior to the injury he rushed for 1,300 yards or more and 12 touchdowns in three of his last four seasons. You would think that with these types of numbers he would be mentioned among the elite running backs in the league, but he is not.

Johnson may be undervalued league-wise, but his teammates know what he is worth and what he's capable of doing when in the lineup.

The Bengals offense starts and ends with how well Rudi runs the rock. He's the workhorse that pulls the buggy along.

The Bengals high-powered offense is at its best when it can run the ball downhill, control the clock, make explosive plays, and run the ball on third down. That spells Rudi.

The 5-foot-10, 214-pound Johnson is tougher than a two-dollar steak and, when he's on his game, there aren't many better. He's an outstanding inside physical runner with the ability to break the long one. Johnson has a lot of heart and shows a willingness to block. He looked to be in midseason form during practice. Johnson was lean, very quick, explosive, and ran the ball with an attitude showing no signs of the hamstring which limited him a year ago.

Talk of the team's interest in former Seahawk running back Shaun Alexander and being a possible salary cap casualty may have woke a sleeping giant.

Johnson said he is healthy, feeling good, working hard and ready to get his roll on.

Bengal fans, Rudi is back!