Recruiting Report: Gabe Johnson (2020)
Burnsville Blaze LB Gabe Johnson (6’1, 220 lb.) has been a recruit that college programs in the Midwest have been looking at for a long time now. Having taken visits to Northern State (SD), Concordia-St. Paul, NDSU, Bemidji State, and SDSU, the now…
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Continue ReadingBurnsville Blaze LB Gabe Johnson (6’1, 220 lb.) has been a recruit that college programs in the Midwest have been looking at for a long time now. Having taken visits to Northern State (SD), Concordia-St. Paul, NDSU, Bemidji State, and SDSU, the now senior is gearing up for the Blaze’s final run of the regular season and will be deciding on a college football program to take his talents to in the coming months. Northstar Football News was lucky enough to sit down with the 2020 ILB in this edition of Northstar’s “Recruiting Report.”
Credit: Gabe JohnsonNFN: Hello, Gabe. Tell our readers where you’re from, a little about yourself, and how you started playing football and what you love about it.
Johnson: “I’m from Burnsville, MN born and raised. I started playing football in the 4th grade but didn’t play tackle until 6th. I’m into magic as a soothing hobby, I love to be around my two younger brothers, and I’ve played everything from gymnastics to water polo. I love hitting people that’s why I play 🙂 . I’m 6’2, 220 lbs. and I run a 4.9 40 with a 405 squat and a 295 bench.”
NFN: How was Burnsville’s season last year, what did you learn from it, and how was your season personally?
Johnson: “Last year I had 95 tackles, 10 TFL’s, 2 sacks, and 2 FF’s. I felt that 2018 was my breakout year having just under 100 tackles in 9 games. We had a lot of seniors last year and this year we only had 5 returning starters so its been more of a rough go than last year but as a team we have always fought and given our best shot everyday and we always go hard. I think beating Minnetonka and Maple Grove last year were huge games for us in the confidence area but losing to Mounds View in the first game of the playoffs stung really bad.”
Credit: Gabe JohnsonNFN: What were your expectations for 2019 and how has the first six games gone so far?
Johnson: “My expectations for the team has been the same I played my sophomore year and that’s to win. I’m a winner and that’s all I want to do. So it’s been rough having a 1-5 record but like I said we always work hard and I don’t doubt the guys heart and their desire to win the games. My expectations for myself was to break 100 tackles this year but missing a game with a concussion hurts that. I just want to do my best every single play so I can help my team. I worked a lot on my lateral quickness and my straight line speed to just be able to get to the ball quicker. When you play football at Burnsville it’s all about giving yourself to the team and being a herd animal. We want our guys to be beasts on the field ready to lay someone out but also be gentlemen off the field and to everyone in the community. Our first six games didn’t go how we hoped. We worked hard and had a lot of good practices but we just couldn’t fight the battle for 4 quarters. There many games we lost where we just let up 3-5 big plays or mistakes that cost us the game.”
NFN: How is recruiting going? Who are some teams you’re interested in and what else can you share about your recruiting process?
Credit: Gabe JohnsonJohnson: “In a college to play football at I’m really looking for a group of guys and coaches I can connect with on a personal level because if I don’t feel the love or the brotherhood then I wouldn’t want to lay my life on the line for them. Over my 3 seasons I’ve been contacted by D1 FCS schools like SDSU, NDSU, and UNI, as well as D2 schools across Minnesota as well as Northern State. Most D3 schools have contacted me and even some Ivy League schools such as Yale and Cornell. My recruiting process is entirely open and my decision will be made by my family and to see where God wants to take my future.”
Yesterday’s Burnsville vs. Rosemount Hudl: http://www.hudl.com/v/2C58y8