nice article on jeremy Johnson

[aubiefifty 17,487]

• By Joe Medley, Star Sports Columnist, jmedley@annistonstar.com
• 8 hrs ago
• (0)

AUBURN — Jeremy Johnson did an amazing thing Saturday.

It wasn’t so much Auburn’s senior quarterback starting his final home game. That’s supposed to be normal, especially for the guy whose hype once fueled major expectations for a Tigers season turned not exactly.

It wasn’t that Johnson threw for 147 yards and a touchdown or rushed for two scores against Alabama A&M. The former five-star recruit and Alabama “Mr. Football” exerted his 6-foot-5, 234-pound measurables on an overmatched opponent.

 

The former Carver-Montgomery star struck a chord doing something more fundamental. He jogged onto Pat Dye Field before Saturday’s game, waved to the crowd, paused to receive a commemorative football from his head coach then assumed his place with senior classmates and family members for Auburn’s senior day.

He was bound to make that senior-day trot somewhere and had every reason to do it elsewhere.

That he did it at Auburn, where his once-promising career started, makes Johnson that thing they say college sports should represent.

Everybody who pointed fingers at the Maurice Smiths, Blake Barnetts and Roc Thomases of the world for taking their talents elsewhere should turn about-face and point to Johnson. Except they won’t.

Not for the Mr. Football who turned Mr. Interception.

Not for the forgotten heir apparent who turned hair-pull inherent.

Not for the guy who made news by lining up at wide receiver a time or two earlier this season.

First, let’s not point at the Smiths, Barnetts and Thomases. College football is the first rung of real-world football, where real coaches chasing real money treat commitment like a stop sign on a country road.

Promises, schmomises.

Produce or play the prop.

When a young adult has reason to believe another coach wants his services more than the coach who wooed his services, hey. The eligibility clock ticks.

That’s what makes Johnson’s senior-day trot in blue and orange so amazing.

He waited two years as a backup and looked the part in cameos. Just as quickly as his time came, however, it went. Johnson lost his job quickly in 2015, starting again only when a guy he beat over an offseason got hurt. He stayed to battle in 2016, when signs pointed to Auburn choosing another option.

 

Johnson has spent most of his senior season on the bench, right next to Gus Malzahn, the coach who started recruiting him before the young man could drive. Johnson did it with apparent acceptance.

We say “apparent,” because it’s hard to know exactly how Johnson has felt. Until Saturday, Auburn had not made him available for interviews this season.

To finger-pointers who turned and pointed every which way in preseason, hinting that he should leave, he offers no regrets about staying.

“With all I’ve done been through, I still love this team,” he said, when asked his emotions. “That’s the most important thing to me here, is my teammates. All the other stuff doesn’t even matter.”

Somebody call the NCAA and tell ’em to turn out their lamps. We’ve sighted an actual “student-athlete.”

It’s more about the school than playing time for this one. Or maybe more about friends. Or more about something, but not playing time. Hallelujah!

Johnson played Saturday, thanks to Sean White’s shoulder injury. Johnson could make his second Iron Bowl start this week, if White can’t start.

Barring that and something hard to fathom against Alabama’s defense, Johnson did the coolest deed of his career Saturday. He signed off where he signed on.

Sports Columnist Joe Medley: 256-235-3576. On Twitter: @jmedley_star.

 

[theduke 5]

That is what college ball is about. Making men, if the money comes, great, but the man should come first. JJ has done that.

[bigbird 60,624]

[AUbritt 611]

Thanks for posting this, @aubiefifty!

[Eltorpedo 15]

Good job last night JJ. I wish him nothing but the best going forward. I hope you have an outstanding life beyond your time at Auburn. 

[aujeff11 6,243]

He stuck with us through the chizik firing and has always been an excellent teammate despite his troubles. He is a great Auburn Tiger in my book.

[aubiefifty 17,487]

 this ol bastid wishes he could hug jj's neck and tell him how much his class means to me. it is a rare thing most days anymore. there are few things i love as much as auburn and i put jj up at the top of all my auburn heroes.

[WarEagleFromHoover 70]

I almost cried after the game because I was so proud of Jeremy . 

Say what you wanna say about him but most players in this situation would be sitting on the bench preparing for a QB battle next year after transferring to another school. 

He waited 2 years being the backup behind Nick Marshall and then became the starter (we all know what happens here) and then lost his job to a freshman. But he stuck it out and played amazing on Saturday. 

 

[OnthePlains 2,014]

Much respect to JJ. True Auburn man.  Who knows, maybe his most special moment as AU QB is still ahead...?

[G8orH8or 61]

War Damn JJ! Hope he starts and plays out of his mind this Saturday. What a great story. It is a long shot but, stranger things have happened.

[triangletiger 1,599]

Love the allusion to Diogenes of Sinope.

[tigeraddikt 1,626]

Seems like a solid guy, good size and tools, but missing the "it" factor to be an on-the-field general to lead the team to championship level play. He's not very smooth with his movements; he seems, at times, clumsy somewhat. When he did not transfer following last year's debacle, it signaled to me that he understood he didn't have what it would take to be a consistently winning major college QB. But he loved Auburn and his teammates, so he stuck with it, being okay with not being "the guy." Whether or not that is to be praised is debatable; but like I said, he seems to be a solid individual and great team player, so all the best for him.