SU’s Brian Johnson finishes 10th in the U.S., third in collegiate ranks

Despite his national and collegiate statistics, junior, political science major, basketball and track and field star Brian Johnson says he still has a goal to achieve -but only to himself. That is, to be number one.
Johnson who is ranked 10th in the nation and third in collegiate sports in the track and field long jump, praise his father, James Johnson for his athletic career. Johnson also plays basketball for SU. His father pitched for the SU Jaguars during 1969-73 season.
“My father is my mentor,” Johnson fondly said.
Johnson raves his most memorable moment comes from his freshman year in high school, when during a junior varsity game, he scored the winning basket from half court. At this game he scored 16 points in the first quarter.
A competitor at heart, Johnson said, “I compete at everything I play, from basketball, to track and field to a card game or Playstation 2 – coming in second or third is not my lead.”
A native of Iowa, La, Johnson came to Southern on a basketball scholarship, he chose SU over many schools , including LSU. “My mind was made up, SU is where I wanted to be.
LSU offered me a scholarship, but only after I completed two years of juco”, said Johnson.
Johnson’s most disappointing moment came when he placed 19th, at a meet in North Carolina.
“I think I was nervous because of the crowd, but I am over the crowd now, I can excel in front of anyone – no matter what”, said Johnson.
To get a head start on his goal, Johnson has vowed to start conditioning himself as early as January, although the team does not officially hit the track until March, he has committed himself to an early start.
Given the name Country Boy, Johnson credits and lives by Coach Jobe’s philosophy on the court and in the classroom,
“Every ten seconds a shot will go up…you have to either be the one making the shot or ready to rebound”