Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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Come to find out, it's family. A chance encounter with Johnson in the weeks before Notre Dame's April 3 Pro Day revealed his intention of giving the NFL a shot, but that he wouldn't compete along with his teammates in front of pro scouts and coaches for personal reasons. All he'd say is that there was a family mat- ter that required much of his attention once his college career ended in December, but that hanging up his cleats was never some- thing he considered. Still, he sat in the bleachers with current Fighting Irish players and watched guys like Michael Floyd, Harrison Smith, Robert Blanton, Darius Fleming and Jonas Gray audition for NFL decision makers, all the while looking like he was mentally thou- sands of miles away. Part of it was the fact that a severely sprained ankle that cost him four games last season (Air Force, USC, Navy and Wake Forest) was still giving him some problems. Mostly it was the physi- cal and mental problems his father, Daniel Johnson, a disabled veteran, was experienc- ing back in Oregon that were the source of distraction. "During Pro Day I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to [make the dream come true] this year," he said. "I was working out and all of that; I just wasn't prepared. I don't like doing anything halfway. If I'm going to do it, I'm going to do it all the way and wholeheartedly. That is why I didn't perform at the Pro Day." Johnson grew up in poverty. His older brother, Samuel, was quite an athlete in his own right, but didn't have anyone to help him with the recruiting process and chose a life in the Air Force, where he's now a Technical Sergeant. Ethan Johnson credits his sibling for helping make the unlikely goal of making it to Notre Dame a reality, including piecing together a crude recruit- ing highlight reel to send out himself. It's one reason Johnson's priorities are with his family, even though he admits it nearly cost him an opportunity to try his hand in the NFL this year. "It was a tough situation," he said. "Teams that I talked to know more details than I'm willing to share in public. It was nothing that had anything to do with my desire to play football. It had to do with my desire to help my family. At the end of the day, you have your family and that's all you have. If you can't count on your fam- ily, who can you count on? "But there is always a way to survive. I didn't come from very much. I didn't come from very much at all. I'm just a hard worker in every aspect of my life. I don't believe you should let one thing define your future. I'm never going to let football define my future. I feel like I could still be a success without football, but it's what I love to do. Sure, could I maybe go get a job somewhere else? Yeah, but I'd be so unhappy doing it without being able to do this." With all the negative news surround- ing the Notre Dame football team in re- cent years, Johnson's story, though he's not ready to share all of it right now, is something to celebrate. Most would agree, based on the man he's become, Johnson is already a success. ✦ Assitant Editor Wes Morgan has been with Blue & Gold Illustrated since February 2011. He can be reached at wmorgan@blueandgold.com JUNE/JULY 2012 8