Former USF Star Johnson Went From Catching Fish to Carving Out NFL Career
By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
TAMPA, OCT. 11, 2020 – From reeling in fish for a living to reaching the pinnacle of pro football, former USF standout
D'Ernest Johnson has relentlessly chased his NFL dream and it's paying off.
Signed by Cleveland as an undrafted free agent in 2019, Johnson seized the opportunity he's spent years praying and preparing for last Sunday. On a massive stage at AT&T Stadium, Johnson led all rushers with a career-high 95 yards in three quarters of the Browns' 49-38 win over the Dallas Cowboys.
"After the game, I was like, 'Man, look how far I've come. Look what God has done,'" said Johnson during a phone interview Monday. "Two years ago, I didn't know what I was gonna do."
What's transpired since 2018 is a tale that could easily be turned into a Hollywood movie script.
Heading to Tampa from his hometown of Immokalee, Fla., Johnson initially helped propel the Bulls back into the national picture as a very humble star.
From 2014-17, the versatile running back racked up a school record 4,186 all-purpose yards, including 1,796 rushing yards (4.3 ypc). The 2017 USF graduate also set top program receiving marks for a running back with 73 receptions for 909 yards.
With his "whatever I have to do for the team" mentality, Johnson scored 29 touchdowns (12 run, 12 rec., 1 return) and even threw for two scores.
Such accomplishments would look great on an NFL Draft profile, but the all-conference selection and former Paul Hornung Award candidate had to take a different route to the pros – much different.
A Different Kind of Catching
Invited to New Orleans Saints rookie minicamp in 2018, Johnson didn't make the team and had to find a way to help provide for his now 5-year-old son, D'Ernest Jr.
Catching fish – not footballs – was the opportunity he took in Key West while working for a charter boat captain from his hometown.
"Every time I'm out there, I'm like, 'Man, I'm really not supposed to be doing this right now. I'm really supposed to be playing football,'" Johnson said. "I had to do what I had to do to make money."
Every day for about two months, the job entailed reeling in delicious deep-sea rewards to sell onshore. The secret to success was keeping a sharp eye on the sky, which Johnson definitely has as a punt/kickoff returner.
"Wherever we'd see birds, most likely there were mahi or (fish) over there," he said. "I'd be up in front, just looking to spot some birds. I'd tell him, 'There are some over there.' We'd get our rods out and go fishing for them."
Work hours on the water were 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., which would make afternoon naps seem pretty tempting. Still, Johnson didn't rest on his NFL goal, doing "at least 1,000 jump ropes, 500 pushups and 500 sit-ups" after shifts while staying mentally prepared.
The Path Back to Football
Once his final fishing catch was made, Johnson amped up high workouts even more after sessions as a personal trainer at Youfit Health Club in Gainesville, Fla., towards the end of 2018. During that time, he remained dedicated to finding a way back to the football field through the newly formed Alliance of American Football.
Former USF tight end Sean Price, who had signed with Orlando Apollos, was a connection who provided his Bulls teammate with an important contact number.
"I was just calling the GM every day. I know he got tired of me, but I just kept calling him, 'Is anything open? They kept saying 'no' for like two weeks and then one weekend, that's when they ended up cutting two of their running backs," Johnson said. "I ended up calling again, and they said, 'We're gonna bring you in for training camp but we're not going to sign you.' I said, 'That's all I need – just an opportunity.'"
Sure enough, Johnson made the team early in 2019 and the third running back on the roster quickly made his move to the top. By the third game of the inaugural season, legendary Apollos head coach Steve Spurrier named Johnson the team's starter. Johnson ended up tying for the second-most rushing yards in the AAF with 372, averaging 5.81 yards per carry and scoring three total touchdowns in eight games (six starts).
Johnson was poised for more production when the AAF suspended operations and canceled the rest of the season on April 2, 2019.
The news was tough, but the fact that he was back in the gridiron groove was a very encouraging sign for someone whose football future was once about as clear as deep ocean waters.
"The hard work I put in every day, the mentality that I have, I always knew that I could play football. I just needed the opportunity to do so," he said. "When those opportunities came, I just took advantage of them."
NFL Dream Finally Becomes a Reality
After Johnson made major impression in the AAF, it didn't take too long before NFL teams were interested in taking a look at the versatile back prior to the 2019 NFL Draft.
First, he worked out for the New England Patriots. Next, it was the Green Bay Packers. After that, Johnson did well at the Cleveland Browns' voluntary minicamp but didn't initially reel in a contract.
Instead of dwelling on the situation, Johnson trained harder than ever in Gainesville and got a call back from the Browns about two weeks after his minicamp tryout. By the time he hung up, Johnson grabbed his backpack and jetted straight to the airport for another workout that resulted in a contract.
Signed in May 2019, Johnson showed Cleveland he had staying power throughout the preseason while the team dealt with injuries at running back and traded Duke Johnson.
"Every day, I was just trying to go out there and make as many plays as I can and just try to show up on film in any kind of way," he said. "If it was special teams, running the ball, making a tackle or returning kicks, I was just trying to go out there and make sure I showed up on film."
Turn on the tape of the 2019 regular season and you'd find Johnson on the field for all 16 of Cleveland's games, mainly on special teams.
"I've had the NFL logo tatted on me since high school, so you know it was always my dream. To accomplish that, that's something big," he said.
Just like his body ink, Johnson has continued to be a permanent part in the Browns' organization and now he's visible to the entire nation, especially fantasy football team owners.
Performing his usual duties in the first three games this season, Johnson was unexpectedly thrust into the spotlight last Sunday in Dallas. His cue came in the second quarter when starter Nick Chubb went down with a knee injury and Johnson literally ran away with the opportunity he's been working for since his childhood football days in Immokalee.
Exploding downfield past Cowboys for a 28-yard gain on his first run, Johnson racked up a game-high 95 rushing yards. He averaged 7.3 yards on 13 carries after coming in with just five total attempts in his career.
"When my number was called on offense, I just took it one play at a time," he said. "Every opportunity I got, I was trying to make something happen. I was going out there just trying to make a play for the team."
With Chubb out for an extended period of time, Johnson will likely get more chances to show what he can do in a position that took years of perseverance to reach. Pretty fitting for a player who has a branded clothing line called "Slow Grind."
"I'm just blessed to be in this situation and my story even makes it better," he said. "It not only gives me hope, but it also gives hope to those who have to go through difficult times."
About USF Football
The USF football program first took the field in 1997 and completed its 23rd season (20th at the FBS level) in 2019. The Bulls have posted 15 winning seasons, earned 14 All-America selections and 29 first-team all-conference selections and has seen 30 players selected in the NFL Draft. USF has made 10 bowl games appearances (going 6-4 in those games) and posted a program record six straight appearances from 2005-2010. The Bulls most recently made four straight bowl appearances from 2015-18 and posted back-to-back 10-win seasons in 2016 and 2017, logging a program-record 11-2 mark in 2016 while finishing both seasons ranked in the Top 25. USF spent a program record 20 straight weeks ranked in the Top 25 during the 2016 and 2017 seasons and reached as high as No. 2 in the national rankings during the 2007 season.
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