Drake Johnson’s Special Michigan Homecoming

By David Cuff @DaveCuff on November 2, 2014

Homecoming weekend is always exciting in college football. It means a lot to the players, fans and alumni of the schools.  For some, however, homecoming means a little bit more. For Drake Johnson yesterday, homecoming was a coming-out party and a chance to show everyone what he’s really made of.

Johnson not only plays college ball in Ann Arbor; he is from the city.  He attended nearby Pioneer High School, where as a senior, he rushed for 2805 yards.  That tremendous season left him just 95 yards short of the Michigan state rushing record.  In 2011, he committed to the University of Michigan, where both his mother and father had attended.  As a freshman in 2012, Johnson was redshirted.  In 2o13, he played in just one game and suffered a torn ACL.  As a redshirt sophomore this year, he wasn’t expected to see much playing time, but injuries and a lack of production from the run game gave him a shot yesterday against Indiana.

Going into yesterday’s game, Johnson had just seven rushes for 50 yards in his career.  Against Indiana, he broke out and ran for 122 yards on 16 carries, including two touchdowns.  He came into the game as the third running back, but may have earned himself the starting job after his tremendous performance.  Not much was expected from a guy coming off an ACL injury who started the season fourth on the running back depth chart, but Johnson is proving the doubters wrong.

Playing at Michigan is a dream come true for Johnson.  He grew up a fan and just being on the team fulfilled a lifelong dream for him.  What he did yesterday was icing on the cake.  Every kid from Michigan who grew up a U of M fan and dreamed of playing for the team was living vicariously through Johnson yesterday.  It was a special homecoming for everyone at Michigan, but for Drake Johnson it meant just a little bit more.

David Cuff is a University of Michigan Football writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @DaveCuff, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.