The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1526802
44 THE WOLVERINE ❱ OCTOBER 2024 ❱ FOOTBALL RECRUITING BY EJ HOLLAND D onovan Johnson still re- members the exact date the injury happened — May 10, 2023, of his sophomore year. College football coaches from across the country were flocking to national powerhouse Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Acad- emy to see Johnson, who, at the time, was considered a five-star caliber run- ning back. He was on top of the recruit- ing world, boasting every offer imagin- able. Spring evaluation period practices were supposed to cement Johnson as a true elite, blue-chip prospect. Instead, Johnson dropped to the ground in pain in early May. The diagnosis was one he didn't want to hear — a torn ACL. "I stressed a little bit," Johnson said. "It was tough. But talking to [current Michigan running backs coach] Coach Tony [Alford] every day one-on-one helped a lot — just about how to come back and the drive. "I always loved football, but going through that injury showed me how much I really love football. Every second of every practice, it means something. Don't let it go by. Closed mouths don't get fed. I'm willing to grind and get back. "I'm not going to lie, my emotions fluctuated. Some days I was like, 'Why did this have to happen?' But I didn't want to focus on the past. I wanted to keep pushing forward. That's all you can do in life. That was my mindset." Johnson's father, Derrick, was back home in Savannah, Ga., when he re- ceived the call with the news of his son's injury. Hearing that would be difficult for any father, but it was especially dev- astating for Derrick. After all, Derrick, who played college football at The Citadel, was there from Day 1 — literally. Sitting inside a cozy, soul food res- taurant, Derrick takes breaks between chowing down on some ribs and sip- ping on some way-too-sweet tea to talk about some of the memories he had of Donovan's childhood. Like the time Donovan played 6U tackle football as a 4-year-old or the time he started his own club track team so Donovan could travel and compete, or the time Dono- van qualified for the Junior Olympics at 13 years old. Derrick was there every step of the way. "We cried on the phone together," Derrick said. "But I said, 'Listen we're going to come back from this.' I went down for his surgery in Florida. I bought him some herbs and things like that, and we got to rehabbing. I think it made him more humble and appreciative of having something. It made both of us appreci- ate the small things in life." Donovan spent the first three months of rehab going through physical therapy before finally being able to hop on the treadmill. All summer was focused on Donovan simply getting comfortable walking and jogging. "It was hard," he said. "Those first couple of months were horrible, but you have to be willing to work every single day to come back. "A lot of people don't realize how much athletes put into coming back from injuries. Blake Corum had to fight back from an injury. It's a lot of work, but I love the grind." Donovan eventually returned to IMG Academy but was forced to sit out his junior year and watch as his teammates went a perfect 10-0 en route to being EMBRACING THE GRIND Michigan Running Back Commit Donovan Johnson Worked Hard, With The Help Of His Father, To Recover From An ACL Tear Johnson, who missed his junior season at IMG Academy while rehabbing from a knee injury, is ranked as the No. 26 running back nationally by On3. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND