SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Charles Johnson woke up one morning in February and, in his words, literally couldn't walk when he tried to get out of bed. He could barely feel his feet or his legs.
He was terrified.
So the Carolina Panthers defensive end called team trainer Ryan Vermillion and headed to Bank of America Stadium for treatment. Johnson had an epidural in his lower back, but that seemed to make the situation worse.
He spent most of the next two weeks stretched out on the floor of his home because he was in so much pain. He called that devastating.
Even worse, he couldn't pick up his 5-year-old son, Charles Johnson Jr., otherwise known as CJ.
"At first he didn't understand I couldn't pick him up," Johnson said Thursday. "How active I am with my son, that's a big part of my life."
Football also is a big part of his life. Johnson, 31, feared the situation with his back might end his career. So in late March he underwent a microdiscectomy, most commonly performed on patients with a herniated disk in the lower back.
It's the same type of surgery golfer Tiger Woods has had twice.
Like Woods, Johnson put his version of a "world golf tour" on hold to rehab. Unlike Woods, whose career remains on hold, Johnson hopes to be ready for the start of the 2017 season.
He has already shown moments of the burst he had from 2010-13, when he had double-digit sack totals in three of four seasons. He's no longer thinking his career is over.
"When you can't walk and you can't feel no feeling in your leg, you think about all type of stuff," said Johnson, who has only a combined five sacks the past two seasons. "But once you have the surgery you get a relief."
Johnson missed seven games during the 2015 season when he was placed on short-term injured reserve. He missed three games last season.
Each time the reason given was a hamstring injury, which can be associated with lower-back issues.
"It's all connected," said Johnson, second on Carolina's all-time sack list with 67.5. "I'm not a guy that would know all those pieces and what it could affect and not affect. [But] when I had surgery, I just felt immediate relief and I'm glad I did it."
To expect Johnson to be ready for the season isn't a reach. Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski played after having the same surgery.
The good news is the Panthers have depth with Johnson, Julius Peppers, 2016 sack leader Mario Addison and Wes Horton, so Johnson doesn't have to play 50-plus snaps a game as he did early in his career.
He has bought into the four-man rotation the Panthers have implemented fully the past three seasons.
"Back then, when I was playing 70-something plays, I was a selfish player," Johnson said. "I wanted every rep. The older I get, the more I realize the fresher you are the more effective you are."
Coach Ron Rivera called Johnson his most effective defensive lineman last season despite the missed starts. The sack numbers weren't there, but Johnson was effective at stopping the run and getting push to disrupt the quarterback.
With the return of Peppers, the team's all-time sack leader, the Panthers have another end who can take the pressure off Johnson to collect sacks.
"Anytime you have a guy like him, with his caliber of what he can do, it brings a big presence to the D-line," Johnson said. "The potential is good, but we've got to work at it, jell, and he's got to jell with us."
That's the leadership in Johnson speaking, the reason he's a team captain. But Johnson leads best by example, and when he couldn't walk he couldn't think of leading.
"It feels good to be here, being healthy right now," Johnson said. "That's one of my main things, trying to stay healthy and stay positive about everything."
