Johnson Returns to Finish What He Started
By David Villavicencio
HurricaneSports.com
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The Miami Hurricanes had a breakout season, winning double-digit games, beating rival Florida State and appearing in a major bowl game.
They also had a play-making safety with a nose for the football that was the heart and soul of the Canes defense. Following the season, that star defensive back had a tough decision to make: enter the NFL Draft or return for his senior season.
While the glitz and glamour of the NFL were appealing, Ed Reed ultimately chose to play one final season for the Hurricanes and it paid off, as Miami went undefeated in 2001 and closed out the season with a 37-14 victory over Nebraska in the Rose Bowl to become national champions.
Reed, who was a consensus All-American for the second straight year, was taken in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft and went on to a legendary NFL career that included a Super Bowl win, nine Pro Bowls, eight All-Pro honors and the 2004 NFL Defensive Player of the Year award.
Fast-forward eighteen years and safety Jaquan Johnson faced a difficult decision after his junior season just like Reed did following the 2000 campaign. After much deliberation, he came to a decision and hopes to have similar results to the legendary ball-hawking safety.
“I’m coming back to play out my senior year, we have unfinished business,” Johnson said. “I want to get my degree and win a national championship with my brothers.”
Johnson even consulted with Reed when he was weighing his options following his junior season and found that there were a lot of parallels between the Hurricane legend and his own Miami experience.
“I asked him why he came back and he told me he loved the University of Miami, he loved what was going on and he wanted to win a national championship. If you want to be great, you have to follow in the footsteps of the greats, so I tried to emulate exactly what he did and that was my mindset,” Johnson told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “He said, ‘You know the NFL wants you. Why even think about it? Just go out and have fun with your brothers, go out and play. You know you’re going to go, so go to work.’ That was one of the best pieces of advice I’ve gotten so far through this process.”
The decision to come back was tough at first. Turning pro could have made a life-changing impact on Johnson and his family, but the Miami native felt a return for one final season would be best for him, his family and his football career.
“It was a difficult decision because just seeing my mom and my dad work every day and they struggle all the time, I could have changed their lives if I would have entered the draft and gotten picked,” Johnson said. “But I just told my mom if she could just hold off another year things would be okay. She’s been doing okay and fine for the past few years since she raised us, so I just said, ‘One more year.’ And once I told her that, it was easy to come back because I love my brothers on the team.”
Johnson’s return for the 2018 season has a major impact on the Hurricanes, as well as the college football landscape. A year ago, he was a Second Team All-America selection, earned All-ACC honors and was named team MVP after recording a team-high 96 tackles (54 solo), three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and four interceptions.
“Growing up in Miami, I was always one of the top guys in Dade County and in Florida,” Johnson said. “I always worked towards those type of goals. It wasn’t normal for me when I didn’t have those type of things coming towards me the last couple of years. This year, it feels like the work I’ve been putting in is finally getting recognized and everybody is finally starting to see it.”
He enters 2018 on the watch lists for the Thorpe and Bednarik Awards, as well as the Nagurski Trophy. A Preseason All-America pick by Athlon Sports, The Sporting News and UPI, Johnson was ranked eighth overall in Sports Illustrated’s Top 100 College Football Players of 2018. The standout defensive back has emerged nationally, but that does not mean he has become complacent after receiving some well-deserved attention.
“Early in my career, I sat behind seniors and learned from those guys and when I finally got my chance, I cashed in on my opportunity,” Johnson said. “I believe that all the noise and everything that is coming at me this year is just that. It’s noise. I am going to continue to work like I always have and I’m going to work the entire year to be the best player I can be.”
In addition to self-motivation, the 2018 Preseason All-ACC safety has made sure his teammates are focused and ready for the upcoming season. Johnson is one of several leaders on the 2018 roster that have been pushing his teammates during summer workouts with Gus Felder and the Miami strength staff.
“One thing coach Gus emphasizes is ’empty the bucket,'” Johnson said. “That means to exert as much energy, as much passion as possible into whatever we have going on. I think that’s what we have been doing this entire summer. When guys start to linger and get left behind, that’s when guys like me, Shaq Quarterman, Ahmmon Richards, Lawrence Cager, we pick those guys up and make sure no one is left behind. We are really united and I believe when you have a team that believes in each other and won’t leave anyone behind, that’s when great things happen.”
Johnson believes the Canes have a complete roster that can compete with anyone. The college football pundits tend to agree with that assessment, as Miami was picked to repeat as ACC Coastal Division champions and at least one Hurricane player has been named to 10 different national award watch lists.
With so many players back from last season’s 10-win team and the influx of talented newcomers, Johnson believes the Hurricanes are positioned to build off of their outstanding showing a year ago.
“Going into my senior year, I feel confident and I think everyone on this team is going to respond well to whatever adversity comes to us,” Johnson said. “It’s not only me on this team. I know we have a whole list of guys that are right with me and they’re elite athletes. I don’t feel any pressure at all. I feel confident that we are going to stand up this year.”
Johnson has thoroughly enjoyed his time at Miami and his positive experience factored into his decision to return for one more season. A human highlight reel in 2017, Johnson has been part of many incredible moments throughout his career, but he has not taken much time to reminisce on the memories. Instead, he has used them as motivation to reach even higher goals.
“It’s been real special,” Johnson said of being a Hurricane. “Sometimes you’re supposed to take a moment and reflect and I don’t think I’ve done that enough. I haven’t really reflected on what I’ve done here so far because I don’t want to get sidetracked. I don’t want to get in awe of the moment. I want to work through the moment because I want to achieve even more. At Miami, a Coastal Championship isn’t the standard. A national championship is the standard and that’s what’s been on my mind and been pushing me the entire time I’ve been here.”
“I think we have the ability to win a national championship,” Johnson said. “There is talk in the locker room. I know I’m talking about it and guys are talking about it. We’re working towards it. That’s one of the main reasons why I came back. I just wanted to see things through in my final season at Miami.”
