'RoJo,' teammates lay it all on the line
Saturday, November 25, 2006
DETROIT -- For Ronald Johnson, Muskegon's final football game at Ford Field was like the end of a roller-coaster ride.
One moment his face was contorted and his body ready to fold to the ground in the aftermath of defeat. The next moment he was smiling and jumping around following a freak play that gave the Big Reds the state championship they had been pointing toward for so long.
Muskegon got a gift Saturday in the Division 2 state championship game against Warren De La Salle. No doubt about it. Outplayed most of the game, outcoached for a big part of it, the Big Reds won the title and ran the table on a 14-0 season when De La Salle's Don Fowler fumbled the ball just before crossing the goal line with less than a minute remaining. The miscue preserved a 32-30 Muskegon win.
Johnson didn't realize Fowler had fumbled. He thought the game was over. Then he saw teammate Donnie Miller fall on the loose ball in the end zone and, finally, he was able to heave a sigh of relief.
Finally. Because perhaps no area player ever has been exposed to the kind of pressure Johnson has seen this year. No player experienced the expectations from fans, coaches and players alike the way he did.
Not just on the football field where Muskegon's drive toward a state title has become an annual rite of fall. But at home, too, where Johnson, considered one of the top defensive backs in the country, had to fend off distractions from college recruiters while putting in extra study time in an effort to pass his ACT college entrance exam.
Less than one year after undergoing knee construction for a torn ACL, Johnson had to deal with pressure on a multitude of fronts.
Football fans expected Johnson to be Superman every game. They wanted him touching the ball all the time, turning the tide at the will of his swift feet. If RoJo was the "Reel Deal" critics surmised, then he should be able to do it alone, take control of the game with a single pivot of his hip.
Never mind that the Big Reds were rolling up the wins week after week.
Four weeks ago, in a district thriller over Lowell, Johnson, considered one of the top players in the country at defensive back, proved only too human, getting beat time and time again while trying to cover Mike McElroy.
What people didn't know at the time is that Johnson had been playing for two weeks with a hernia. What they didn't understand is that his value on a team loaded with all kinds of talent often was as a decoy. What they should have seen is that Johnson would happily trade in any personal accolades he might get for a victory.
It was fitting, somehow, that on Saturday, in a game when Muskegon did not play its best, in a contest that looked like momentum firmly was on the side of the Pilots, Johnson came up with big plays in all kinds of ways.
"I don't think a lot of people realize that Ronald really hasn't practiced in six weeks," said Johnson. "With his hernia, that's been a challenge to get him ready for games. But, he's such a special kid.
"Let's see, he willed the long kick return, he willed the fumble recovery, he willed the short pass (for a 54-yard gain), he caught a pass from over the top for a touchdown and he caused a fumble. That's a pretty good day's work."
Johnson finished with 116 yards on four catches, including a 47-yard TD pass in the fourth quarter, had six kickoff returns for 123 yards, scored the game's first TD on a 36-yard fumble return. And, oh yes, he's the one that tried to bring down Fowler near the goal-line, leading to the fumble that helped seal Muskegon's destiny.
Earlier in the game, Johnson made a touchdown-saving tackle, and forcing the Piolts to settle for an early field goal instead.
And, you had to believe it was destiny. With the way Johnson came back from his ACL injury. With the way he worked so selflessly with his teammates to ensure the state title would return to Muskegon after a year layoff. And with the unbelievable way the Big Reds won the game.
"It was a great season," said Johnson. "I thank God for giving me another chance."
Johnson recently took his ACT over, after failing to get the required 18 the first go round, and he feels confident he made the grade.
Now, he will focus on taking his five visits to some pretty heady schools --Southern Cal, Michigan, Ohio State, Texas and Florida -- before making a verbal commitment.
But, what he will savor most is the 14 weeks in which he learned to shut out the pressure from the outside and turn to what was on the inside. What he will value the most is a season in which he learned to depend on his teammates and coaches to show him the way.
The roller-coaster ride is over. Johnson and Muskegon finished on top.
