Former Alabama JUCO LB commit explains how math class kept him from enrolling in Tuscaloosa
By Adam Spencer
Published:
Growing up in Alabama, former Texas LB Gary Johnson really wanted to play his college football for his home-state Crimson Tide.
Coming out of JUCO in Kansas, Johnson even committed to play for the Tide, but never ended up enrolling.
He eventually landed at Texas, where he played for two years before entering the 2019 NFL Draft. Speaking at the NFL Combine this weekend, Johnson explained that a problem with an online math class kept him out of Alabama (via AL.com):
All set to make Tuscaloosa home, Johnson said his plan hit a snag because of a math class. One he took online didn’t transfer so he would have had to retake it in the spring and delay his enrollment at Alabama until June of 2017.
“I just felt like it wasn’t enough time to learn the play book and earn a starting role,” Johnson said.
“I made a business decision,” Johnson said. “I had a talk with God. I had a talk with my guardians and my mom and decided what was best and not be able to go to an SEC school and attend another university.”
Johnson recorded 147 tackles (22.5 for a loss) and 8.5 sacks in two years at Texas. He also forced two fumbles.
Yes, Alabama gets top recruits at every position on a yearly basis, but it’s still interesting to wonder how Johnson could have fared in Tuscaloosa.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
