State leader in rushing? Check. Michigan Mr. Football nominee? Check. State champion hurdler? Check that box twice. To many, just one of these things would be a great achievement, but to Community High School senior Drake Johnson, these are just a few highlights from a long list of accomplishments. By committing to the University of Michigan on November eighth, Johnson can now check off the biggest box on his list yet. Johnson has now achieved his goal of playing football in college.

Johnson started playing competitive tackle football for the Washtenaw Junior Wolverines when he was eight. His dad gave him a choice of playing soccer, swimming or football in the fall. “I didn’t wanna swim, I couldn’t play soccer, so football is the sport I chose,” Johnson said.  His track career started in a similar fashion, when his dad told him he could either participate in track or gymnastics for a spring sport activity.

Johnson’s decision to do football and track paid its dividends, but not without incredible hard work and determination. “My dad used to work the hell out of me. I remember during summer breaks in elementary and middle school I would be working out at the track for hours, doing speed and agility drills, while all my friends were hanging out at each others houses,” he said. It started with his father working him hard, but Johnson eventually found the self-motivation to improve and make strides to become the “go to guy” on the field.

Quick to say that he has no regrets, Johnson recognizes that all of the extra hours have paid off. This summer, Johnson put his hard work from his early years to the test with rigorous off season workouts. Instead of hitting the weight room, like past years, he set his goal to get quicker by spending his summer on the track. Johnson laughed while explaining his reasoning for his speed workouts; “You don’t need to be the biggest guy out there if you’re running past everyone.”

The change of pace helped Johnson experience a breakout year, one that is filled with video game-like numbers. This season, Johnson is averaging 250.6 yards per game on the ground, while piling up 37 touchdowns. As of November tenth he is 133 yards short of the Michigan High School Athletic Association single-season rushing record of 2,890 yards, and will have a chance to break the record in a state quarterfinal match up against Detroit Catholic Central on the twelth. In addition to the numbers, Johnson has also been nominated for the 2011 Michigan Mr. Football Award, given to the best player in the state each year.

Since he was a kid, Johnson’s dream was to play football in college. By verbally committing to the University of Michigan on November eighth, his dream became a reality. “Growing up in Ann Arbor, Michigan has always been the dream school,” Johnson said “It feels great, knowing that I’ll be representing my hometown at my hometown university.”

Johnson’s goal of becoming a successful student athlete began when he entered the lottery for Community. Johnson’s brother Carter, a CHS class of 2010 alumni, loved Community and convinced Johnson that it was a place he could thrive.

Attending Community while being a standout athlete for Pioneer turned out to be a great decision. Throughout his athletic career at Pioneer, some of Johnson’s teammates have had trouble in their classes at Pioneer. “Having the student-teacher relationship we have at Community has helped tremendously with my academics,” Johnson said, “ The teachers are here to help you stay on track with your goals and want to help you learn. There is always someone to help you at CHS.”

Along with the academic side of attending Community, the atmosphere is what helped Johnson the most in reaching his goals. By not attending a “normal high school”  he was able to avoid the drama of a big school. Johnson believes being a student-athlete at CHS has made him less stressed and kept him centered during his seasons.

He’s done the work, developed the skills, and now, Johnson has been given the opportunity to take his talents to the next level. Despite his successes, Johnson recognizes that a lot of work still has to be done for him to see any playing time at U of M. “I’m just gonna keep working, and do whatever it takes to get on the field.”

You can vote for Drake to be named Michigan “Mr. Football” at www.statechamps.tv/mrfootball