NFL Draft flashback – Jermaine Johnson Eden Prairie
With the former Eden Prairie star recently going in the first round of the NFL Draft, I thought it would be fun to look back at the stud defensive end while terrorizing Minnesota high school quarterbacks. This story originally ran on northstarfootballnews.com in 2017.
There seem to be two teams that are all in on defensive end Jermaine Johnson and his football talents. The first team is his current team, the Eden Prairie Eagles. The second seems to be the Minnesota Gophers. Although they have not made a formal offer to the senior, the interest in Johnson appears to be more than that of passing interest.
Although the Eagles dropped their regular season opener – rare for any Eagles’ team – Johnson feels the mistakes made in game one are not mistakes they will be repeating.
“Against Totino-Grace I don’t think we played as strong as we thought we were going to, and it gave us some motivation to go into the Edina game and the Hopkins game,” Johnson said. “In the Hopkins game, the defense played with a high intensity that made me very proud.”
Johnson said the offense stepped up against the Royals as well and feel the key to continuing their success this year is pretty simple.
“We just do our assignments,’ the two-year starter said. “One thing our coaches do well is to teach us to do our assignment, and everything else will fall into place.”
It has been a strange start to the season on an individual level for the two-year starter. During the pre-season, the full-time defensive end began to see some time at wide receiver. Through three games, Johnson has done well on offense, but between the coaching staff and himself, they have decided to have him focus on defense only. He has been an impact player on defense but feels he is only scratching the surface.
“I have done the best I could, but I know I have room to improve. I know the best is yet to come.”
Johnson – who is involved in a teen Bible study group called Young Life – feels his best attribute is his pass rushing ability.
“I think I am best at pass rushing and attacking, but at the same time, I think I work on attacking every play. I have to work on making a play every time. I know what I can do as a player, and I have done it so I expect myself to make plays and make things happen every time I can.”
Depending on the situation, Johnson will line up on either side of their base 4-3 formation. Occasionally they will switch to a 3-4, and that will stand him up as an outside linebacker.
“I like to line up on the left side because I like my right hand down or if I don’t go down I like to have my left foot forward.”
Since last season, Johnson feels like he has made his biggest strides defending the run.
“I feel like I am playing with a higher intensity, and I shed my guy easier.”
During the offseason, Johnson is also in track and field. He usually runs the 100 meters, the 200 meters. When needed for the team score he will also throw the shot put and the discus.
Johnson also went to the Army combine in January, The Opening regionals in Chicago in May and the Gophers’ junior day.
“After those camps, I realized I can take this as far as I want to go,” the 6’5″ 225-pound senior said. “I just have to put my mind to it. I see everything out in front of me, and I just have to do everything in my power to make my dreams come true.”
Minnesota, Tennessee, Louisville, Notre Dame, and Nebraska are all interested in Johnson. At this point, it is email and Twitter contact for all of those programs – except one.
“The school that is making the biggest effort recruiting me is Minnesota. I feel like (Gophers’ assistant coaches) Mike Sherels, and Jeff Phelps are more than business with me. It is more of them worried about my well-being, and it feels like they are already coaching me.”