He’s ready for some football

Senior Tristan Johnson hopes for professional football career

Andy Dygert
News Editor
Mar. 11, 2004, Page 2

Thousands of children, across the country and the world dream of playing sports at the professional level. It was the dream of a kid from Aurora, Colo. to play professional football.
This kid, Tristan Johnson, now a senior wide receiver at Doane College, is trying to snatch his dreams from the realm of imagination and make them his future.
“I’ve declared myself eligible for the NFL draft according to NAIA standards,” Johnson said. “I’m not sure, of course, but it’s a possibility that my name will get called.”
If Johnson’s name is called, it will complete a major part of his life as a Doane College athlete, as a varsity player at Eaglecrest High School in Aurora, where he made All-State, All-Conference his junior and senior years and as a boy who dreamed about playing in the pros.
“He’s been wanting to play in the NFL since he was a little kid,” junior teammate Eric Jones said. “I just take my hat off to him for trying to follow his dream.”
Johnson is looking hopefully at the NFL, but realizes that he might not make it at this time. In which case, he is looking into playing in the Indoor Football League or the Canadian Football League.
“A lot of arena (IFL) teams and teams in Canada have film of me,” Johnson said. “But my goal is the NFL, if not now, then later. That’s the ultimate goal. That’s it.”
He is looking at several teams already, including the Omaha Beef and the Lincoln Capitals of the IFL. He has had one NFL workout to date as well.
“This summer I had a workout with the Denver Broncos,” Johnson said. “So far that’s the only team that’s given me a workout.”
According to Fran Schwenk, Doane head football coach, these workouts are extremely important.
“I think that for someone who’s not well known, they don’t play NCAA Division I or anything, they need to tryout really well,” Schwenk said. “That’s how Raymonn [Adams, who graduated from Doane in 2001] got his shot with the New York Jets. If Tristan can run a good 40 [meters] time at the tryouts then I believe he has the height, the heart and the skill to make it.”
Johnson feels that he is not the only one at Doane has the ability to play football professionally. According to Johnson, Doane has a strong enough football program and enough players with heart therein to make the leap.
“I definitely think we have a strong enough program and good enough athletes to send people to the professional level,” Johnson said. “[Applying to professional teams] has been kind of bittersweet as I feel that my class in particular has more than just one person able to go and play professionally.”
According to his teammates, however, Johnson has made this opportunity for himself and he deserves the chance to play professional football.
“I think he deserves this,” Jones said. “Everything this guy does is about football. He goes to sleep with ESPN blaring and is always playing sports and everything. He works really hard all the time and he’s a leader by example to his teammates.”
A wide-receiver his whole career, although he played quarterback in high school as well, Johnson thinks that he will be keeping that same position if he makes it to the professional level.
“If I did enter the NFL, or wherever, I don’t see myself changing positions from receiver,” Johnson said.
In Johnson’s four years of play at Doane he has compiled 853 reception yards, 51 receptions and 10 touchdowns. Johnson has averaged 16.73 yards per reception.
He has even thrown the ball at Doane once. Johnson threw a 35 yard touchdown pass to quarterback Jared Van Anne this past fall in the last regular season game against the University of Sioux Falls.
All of Johnson’s hard work may be about to pay off with the upcoming NFL draft in April. Even if it doesn’t work at that time, however, Johnson assuredly says that he will continue to try to play football until he can’t anymore. After that, or possibly as a part-time job during his active football career, Johnson plans to coach.
“I definitely want to coach at some time,” Johnson said. “I would coach just about anywhere.”
Johnson is grateful that he has been given this opportunity to play professional sports and rise above the fantasies of childhood.
“I thank God for getting me here and I definitely will continue to pray and to hope for the best,” Johnson said.