Johnson Continues Push For Payton Award
10/14/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Senior Gus Johnson continues his stellar senior campaign as the Lumberjack running back continues to rank among the top players in the nation at the FCS level.
Saturday at Nicholls, Johnson recorded the fourth 200-yard performance of his career, rushing 19 times for 202 yards and three touchdowns as SFA notched its first road victory since 2011 with a 42-20 victory over the Colonels. Johnson opened the game with a 20-yard touchdown scamper in the first quarter, his fifth touchdown of the season in the opening quarter of a game, then followed it up with a 34-yard rumble and a one-yard plunge in the third quarter as the Lumberjacks pulled away.
Johnson set not one, not two, but three career milestones in the process, highlighted by becoming the all-time career touchdown leader in SFA program history. He has found the endzone 42 times as a Lumberjack, surpassing former teammate Cordell Roberson's (2009-12) 39 touchdowns as the new school record. Johnson also raced past SFA great Larry Centers (1986-89) into third place all-time in career rushing yards, becoming just the third member of the Lumberjack 3,000-yard club, sitting at 3,077 yards for his his career. He enters Saturday's game just four yards shy of surpassing Andy Hopkins (1967-70) for second all-time.
His exploits on the season have placed Johnson as one of the top running backs in the nation. Through six games of 2014, Johnson leads the country in touchdowns (13), ranks second in yards per carry (8.62), third in scoring (13.0 ppg), sixth in rushing yards (853) and seventh in rushing yards per game (142.2). A dual threat player, Johnson also sits 17th nationally in all-purpose yards, averaging 156.67 per game.
For his career, Johnson has accumulated 3,077 yards on 474 carries, an average of 6.5 yards per carry for his career. The SFA all-time leader in touchdowns with 42, the Gilmer native has also caught 48 passes for 341 yards and a touchdown in his career as he currently ranks seventh all-time in program history for career all-purpose yards with 3,418.
"It's not everyday you get a player like Gus Johnson on your football team," said head coach Clint Conque. "He is a unique talent and has the ability to combine a power runner with a finesse player. He is a special player to watch. Enjoy watching Gus Johnson play, because players like that don't come around very often."
Johnson was named to the 2014 Walter Payton Award Watch List on September 30th, joining Southeastern Louisiana quarterback Bryan Bennett as the only Southland Conference players on the list. Named after the legendary NFL Hall of Fame running back, the Walter Payton Award is given each year to the top collegiate football player at the FCS level. Ballots will be sent to a national panel of over 150 sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries following the regular season. The top three vote-getters will be invited to the presentation of the award.
-SFA-
