Lemond Johnson Plays His Way To Division 1 College Football At Auburn

Photo Credits: David Rosenfield

BY JACOB FIERMAN

The quarterback snaps the ball and the play begins. Receivers are running various routes as the defense adjusts. Senior Lemond Johnson follows the play and comes up to intercept the ball from the intended receiver. With a jolt of speed, he heads straight for the end zone and picks up 6 points for the Cowboys.

Since Johnson was a kid, he was drawn to the sport of football. He first started playing little league football in Connecticut when he was seven years old.

“My dad showed me the game when I was little,” Johnson said. “I fell in love when I was young and have loved it ever since.”

When Johnson was in 6th grade, his family moved to North Carolina where he played football on his middle school team. Johnson made the transition into high school football and played for the varsity team in North Carolina until he moved with his father to Florida the summer before his junior year.

“Florida is one of the best states in the country for high school football,” Johnson said. “We thought I would have a better chance of being noticed by college scouts and coaches.”

However, the move was not an easy decision for Johnson and his father.

“My family had to make sacrifices,” Johnson said. “It was really hard leaving my mom and sister back home.”

Once Johnson started playing at CCCHS, his football career took off. During his junior year, he quickly became a go-to player who played both offense and defense. However, Johnson’s season was cut short due to a leg injury he received in a game against Everglades High School.

This year, however, Johnson is back on the field and is eager to help lead his team to another successful season.

“He’s more than recovered from the broken leg and is ready to play hard,” Cooper City High Head Football Coach Arthur Taylor said.

As Johnson began to excel in combines (which are various events intended for judgment of performance, skills, and attribute) this spring he began to catch the eye of division 1 colleges. He attended an invitation-only Nike Football Camp where he worked on perfecting his skills.

What makes Johnson such a great player is that he works tremendously hard. Whether he is studying film, or putting in extra hours in the weight room, Johnson constantly proves his strong work ethic.

“Johnson is as good as he is because he puts the time in at the gym and on the field every single day,” Taylor said. “The kid is always working and unlike most teenagers, he’s never at home playing video games.”

Last spring, coaches from around the country came to watch him perform during practices, games, and even meet with him occasionally during school.

“College coaches are allowed to see players personally during spring football,” Johnson said. “I was busy all spring with coaches who would come and take videos, pictures, and talk with me.”

Most of the recruiting work was done by Johnson and his family, he sent out his highlight tapes and attended various combines, which resulted in coaches from 30 division 1 colleges coming to visit him over the year.

With offers from the University of Miami, University of Alabama, Florida State University, Auburn University, and countless others, Johnson had a tough decision to make. After doing research on the staff, facility, and location of each school, Johnson committed to Auburn University because of their great facility, coaches and college football ranking.

“Auburn provides a great environment with good staff members and a nice location,” Johnson said. “It’s a great place to get ready for the NFL and it is an outstanding team within the SEC.”

Though Johnson has already committed to Auburn, he is still focused on securing a third Cowboy district title this season. Johnson has incredible speed, cutting ability, and football smarts. On offense he has great hands for catching and a good ability to run his routes. On defense he is able to stay with receivers and make big turnovers. At Auburn, the coaches want Johnson to get started next season at free safety and defensive back.

“I think Johnson is his best at safety but it’s always great when you can play more than one position,” Cooper City High Defensive Coordinator Earl Little said. “It really says a lot about your abilities when you can be placed anywhere on the field and be successful.”

Hard work and dedication have led to Johnson’s success. Whether it is putting in hours at the gym or out on the football field, Johnson is always working hard to improve. With his talent and maturity, Johnson undoubtedly has a bright future ahead of him.

“One day I see myself in the NFL,” Johnson said. “That’s the dream.”