Johnson Signs Training Camp Deal With Cowboys
7/27/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Former Stephen F. Austin All-American Gus Johnson has been signed by the Dallas Cowboys as the team gets ready to head to its 2015 Training Camp in Oxnard, California.
Johnson, who was brought in by the Cowboys last month for a three-day tryout, was signed by the team on Thursday of last week and the contract was made official once Johnson passed his physical Monday at Valley Ranch. Johnson originally was signed by the Oakland Raiders as an undrafted free agent following the 2015 NFL Draft before being released by the club.
Johnson joins the Cowboys following a stellar SFA career, one which ended with him in sole possession of eight Lumberjack records, tied for the most in program history with Jeremy Moses, who fittingly served as Johnson's position coach in 2014.In 2014, Johnson set the Lumberjack and Southland Conference single-season rushing record with 1,683 yards while racking up 23 rushing touchdowns, a new SFA program record. He tied his single-game program record with four rushing touchdowns against Incarnate Word, marking the third time in his career he notched a four-touchdown game, and set the Lumberjack single-season record for points in a season with 138.
He was named a first team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association, Beyond Sports Network and The Sports Network, earning second team honors by the Associated Press. His efforts on the season also ranked him among the nation's top-10 in five different statistical categories as he was named a Walter Payton Award finalist, the second in SFA program history (finishing ninth in the voting).
Following the end of the regular season Johnson was first nationally in touchdowns, third in both yards per carry (6.78) and scoring (11.0), fourth in rushing yards and fifth in rushing yards per game (133.4). Johnson's 2014 season helped him etch his name in SFA program history as the Lumberjacks' all-time rushing king, setting the program records for career rushing yards (3,907), rushing touchdowns (51) and total touchdowns (52).
He ends his time in Nacogdoches ranked fifth all-time in SLC history in rushing yards, sitting third all-time in rushing touchdowns and fourth all-time in career touchdowns. The Gilmer native, who grew up just 150 miles east of AT&T Stadium, closed his SFA career with 21 100-yard rushing games and six 200-yard performances, both of which are tops all-time in program history.
The Cowboys return to Oxnard for a 10th time in 2015 with practices getting underway Thursday, July 30. The team plays a pair of preseason games at San Diego (Aug. 13) and at San Francisco (Aug. 23) before returning to AT&T Stadium for preseason games against Minnesota (Aug. 29) and Houston (Sept. 3).
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