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Brad Johnson
But before he took flight in the skies, Johnson soared above the competition on the football field.
Johnson was one of the most heavily recruited athletes in Cherokee County High School history. He was the No. 2 college football prospect in Alabama in 1985, according to The Birmingham News and The Birmingham Post Herald.
Johnson was also successful in the classroom. During his senior year, he was selected a First Team Academic All-American by Adidas and The Birmingham News.
Johnson’s accomplishments earned him official visits to colleges such as Penn State, Notre Dame, Florida State, Alabama and Auburn. He eventually went on to play at Auburn from 1986-89, where he started his freshman season. Johnson blocked for the likes of running backs Brent Fullwood, James Joseph and Stacy Danley.
Johnson was a member of three Southeastern Conference Championship teams during his collegiate career. While those championships are certainly special to Johnson, he said his latest accolade is “one of the biggest I can have.”
Johnson, along with Gaylesville’s Bob Wheeling and former Cherokee County and University of Alabama football standout John Miller, will be inducted into the Cherokee County Hall of Fame.
The formal ceremony for the Class of 2009 will be held July 18 at 6 p.m. in the Gadsden State-Cherokee banquet hall. Tickets for the event are $20.
Johnson joins several fellow Cherokee County High School greats in the hall, including his father, former Warrior football coach Bobby Joe Johnson.
Coach Johnson will induct his son.
“People like Boo Jelks, Martin Houston and my dad, it’s a big-time honor to be recognized with those people,” Johnson said. “I just thank the good Lord for the abilities he gave me to play the sport, and I thank my coaches and my teachers for helping carry me to that level.”
Coach Johnson called his son “the most outstanding lineman I ever coached.”
“He was an outstanding blocker and an outstanding defensive player in high school,” Coach Johnson said. “He was one of those guys who didn’t get tired and he was always in good condition. He was so fast and quick. It was amazing to watch him pancake people. He just had the whole package. He was a good leader for our team, and he just really stood out.”
Former running back Cash Covington was one of the recipients of the clear paths made by Johnson. He called Johnson “an exceptional athlete.”
“He was dominant on both sides of the ball,” Covington said. “If we needed a stop on defense, Coach Johnson would put him in. He just had excellent footwork. He was quick off the ball. He had all the tools, and he was well worthy of going to Auburn. He paved the way for me to get a scholarship to Jacksonville State.”
Even more important to Covington is Johnson’s friendship through the years.
“He’s a better friend to me than he was a football player,” Covington said. “He’s always been well respected. He never caused any trouble. He just always tried to motivate me.”
One outstanding performance Coach Johnson and Covington recalled the 6-foot-4, 285-pound Johnson having was against top-ranked Shelby County in the third round of the 1984 state playoffs. Coach Johnson said the Wildcats were undefeated and their defense had given up only 13 points all season. He knew he had to shake things up a little bit in order to win, so he lined Johnson up in the backfield behind guard.
“That way we could use him to hit everybody,” Coach Johnson said. “He was fast enough to get in front of the sweep.”
The move proved pivotal, as the Warriors went on to claim a 33-27 victory off quarterback Neal Wester’s 23-yard touchdown pass to Sloan Maddox on 3rd-and-3 with four seconds left in the game. The Warriors went on to play T.R. Miller in the state title game that season.
“We battled them for four quarters, and he played so well in that game that he broke his facemask in the first half. We had to get a replacement for the facemask he had,” Covington said. “That was how determined he was. I’ll never forget that.
“He made himself versatile that night. He was taking on cornerbacks and pancaking them. What really amazed me about him was his footwork. He could just pinpoint his assignment and take them down.”
Coach Johnson said the following year, he talked with Shelby County coach Ricky Seale at a coaching clinic about that game.
“Their coach came up to me and said ‘I never saw anything like No. 78 (Johnson’s number).’ He told me Brad was just killing everybody on their team,” Coach Johnson said.
Folks took notice of the Warriors’ season in 1984, and they were particularly interested in Johnson. In a memorable interview with Jimmy Bryan of The Birmingham News, Bryan asked the younger Johnson if his dad showed any favortism toward him.
Known for a great sense of humor, Johnson replied “No, he treats us all like dogs.”
“My mom (Dolores Johnson) didn’t think too highly of that,” Johnson said. “She said she couldn’t believe I said that, but dad treated us all the same. His style was he would tell you something and he would teach you. He wasn’t too much of the screaming and yelling type, unless you needed that. Everybody’s motivated in different ways. Everybody has different needs, and he just knew how to push us.”
Interviews and being in the public spotlight were things Johnson would get a lot of his junior and senior years. College scouts by the dozens recruited him to play football for their schools.
“In all honesty, I don’t think a lot of people ever experience anything like that,” Johnson said. “It’s like being put on a pedestal. Everybody’s bragging on you, saying how good you are, whether it was true or not. The overall (recruiting) experience was incredible. I loved all the schools I visited. I met all kinds of people.”
Johnson narrowed his choices down to two universities: Notre Dame and Auburn. He said he was close to choosing the Fighting Irish, but went with Auburn instead.
“I met Lou Holtz, Tim Brown and all those guys (at Notre Dame),” Johnson said. “I enjoyed my time up there, and if Notre Dame was just a couple of hours away, it would have been tough (to make the decision), but going to Auburn was the best decision in my life.”
Johnson chose Auburn particularly because of its people and its setting. He said choosing Auburn is a decision he’s never regretted.
“Auburn was more laid back, more like the setting I grew up in,” he said. “I felt like Auburn would push me a lot harder. I felt like Coach (Pat) Dye’s program was growing stronger.”
And it was.
The Tigers beat Alabama all four years Johnson played at Auburn. The Tigers also went on to claim three SEC titles and had bowl appearances in all those seasons.
One game that stood out to Johnson in his collegiate career was the 1989 Iron Bowl, the first time Alabama played at Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium. The Tigers won that game 30-20.
“There were 7,000 more people there than there were tickets available,” he said. “At halftime, we were trailing, and in our locker room there was silence. Even though we were getting beat, it was one of those feelings where we knew we wouldn’t get beat. The momentum of that game was just off the charts for us. It was incredible all the way around.”
Johnson also remembers a special moment after that game with fellow Warrior and Cherokee County Hall of Fame member Martin Houston.
Houston played for the Crimson Tide.
“We hugged after the Alabama-Auburn game,” Johnson said. “You’re playing against friends, and I think that’s a great experience. It’s something I’ll take to my grave.”
After graduating from Auburn, Johnson now has a career in the medical sales field in Hanceville. His football days, however, will always be special to him.
“Bottom line, I love football … the competitiveness of it, the camaraderie, the coaches. I was blessed in all those areas, and it’s done nothing but accelerate for me since then.”
Added Coach Johnson: “Me and Dolores are so proud he’s going in. He’s always been a heck of a football player, and he’s a fine young man, even if he is mine.
“No matter what he does, he works hard and he makes sure he does it right. He wants to be the very best at anything he does, and he’s always been that way.”
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