Blue White Illustrated

Rotsky to Euclid, where the football team had 5nished 4-6 the year before. Johnson knew that he was taking a chance with his college future. But what he didn't know was that the move to Euclid would also allow him to become a bona 5de leader at his new school from day one. As Rotsky explained, the switch gave the 6-foot-2, 180-pound Johnson a chance to show his leadership ability, and in the process, it allowed college coaches to learn about that aspect of his person- ality. "Anthony followed me from Cleveland Heights to Euclid and he immediately be- came the leader on our team," Rotsky said. "With this being my 5rst year there, he really became the bridge between me and the team. That was so important to me, and it showed me so much about his lead- ership. Like any coach, I can be a crazy man at times, so every kid is going to react di6erently to a new coach. "But Anthony was able to really help me communicate with them, and it made a major di6erence for us. He was the bu6er that every 5rst-year coach needs, and I made sure that every college coach knew that when they came in to ask me about him." In addition to being a key player in the locker room, Johnson also proved to be crucial on the 5eld. Like all Division I prospects, his size and athleticism set him apart from other high school players, but he also was able to serve as an example when it came to the importance of 5lm study. "Every Sunday, he would give me a call a7er watching 5lm," Rotsky said. "In ad- dition to our team sessions, he would al- ways prepare on his own, then call me up to say, Hey Coach, I think I can cover so- and-so, or I think I can exploit so-and- so. He already thinks like a coach in so many ways. He understands the impor- tance of 5lm and being prepared. In col- lege, 5lm prep is on a completely di6erent level compared to high school. But with his background, it's going to be business like always for him." While Rotsky deserves most of the credit for developing Johnson into the player that he has become, there's another well-known member of the Cleveland football family who helped get him start- ed. "My great-grandfather is Marion Mot- ley," Johnson said, referring to the former Cleveland Browns running back and Pro Football Hall of Fame member. "Unfor- tunately, he passed away when I was young, but he played a big part in me getting into football in the 5rst place. I know I'll prob- ably never be a hall of fame player, but just to follow in his footsteps to play in college is a great start for me. I'm really proud of that." Motley was one of the 5rst African- Americans to play professional football, as he joined the Browns in 1946 and played in Cleveland until 1953. Now, his great grandson is joining a school that played a pivotal role in integrating college foot- ball. "That's really cool," Johnson said when informed that Penn State was one of the 5rst colleges to allow African-Americans to play alongside white players. "That doesn't surprise me at all. Penn State has always stood for all the right things. That just makes me even more proud to go there." ■ CLICK HERE to see video of Johnson in action. Rivals.com THE JOHNSON FILE STATS Finished with 31 tackles, five interceptions and 13 passes defended as a senior at Euclid High – his only season with the school... Helped lead the Panthers to the OHSAA Division I region- al final HONORS Named a three-star recruit by Rivals.com, as well as the No. 38 prospect in Ohio and the No. 59 cornerback nationally... Made the first-team All-Ohio Division I squad as a senior... Was a first-team Cleveland.com All-Star and a Northeast Ohio Lakes All-District choice

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