University of Georgia Athletics
Quick Chat: Jermaine Johnson
November 23, 2020 | Football, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
As Jermaine Johnson talked during our Quick Chat on Monday, a beautiful mid-60s day here in Athens, it was 30 degrees back in his hometown of Eden Prairie, Minn. Not everyone is built to handle the many frigid months that Minnesotans endure throughout the year, and Johnson is enjoying our local weather just fine, but he does like being around the snow and cold over the holidays.
The 6-foot-5 and 240-pound senior outside linebacker is second on the team with 4.0 sacks this season, his second with the Bulldogs since coming over from Independence Community College. During our Chat, he also talked about his first dunk, video games, fun times in the locker room and more.
Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: I just looked up the temperature in Eden Prairie a little while ago and it was 30 degrees. What kind of stuff do you have to be made of to live through the weather in Minnesota year after year?
Johnson: You've got to be made of, I don't know, some sort of insulation, under your skin, that you develop over time as you live there. I don't know, it's cold. I grew up in it but that doesn't mean I like it that much.
Frierson: How much do you enjoy the fall and winter that you experience down here?
Johnson: I enjoy it, for sure. The only thing I'll say about Minnesota's winter is that it fulfills the whole holiday feeling around that time, with the snow and everything. Aside from that, after the holidays are over with, I'm done with the snow and the cold.
Frierson: Speaking of holidays, what is your favorite Thanksgiving spread?
Johnson: I like greens, for sure, cornbread, there's got to be some turkey in there — man, we have so many dishes out there. You know those barbecue weenies, the appetizer ones, those are a favorite. And I've got to put some dessert in there, some apple pie or pumpkin pie.
Frierson: What other sports did you play when you were growing? Which ones were you good at?
Johnson: I played basketball, I ran track and I was going to pursue another spring sport but I decided not to. I was good at all sports, I just realized I was probably best at football. I couldn't have been good at other sports but football was already something I was naturally good at. And with some hard work and some time put into it I could be wherever I wanted to be, so I just stuck with that.
Frierson: Going back to your basketball days, do you remember your first dunk?
Johnson: [Laughs] Yeah, I do. I was in probably ninth grade and I hadn't dunked yet but I was tall. Some kids on the older (varsity) team were like, you can dunk, bro. And I was like, no, I can't, I've never dunked. They were like, you can dunk, just try it.
So I just ran up to the hoop and jumped as high as I could and then I don't know I just dunked it. I was surprised, and after that I was dunking all day. My wrist was bleeding from hitting the rim. It was crazy.
Frierson: Who is the funniest guy on the team?
Johnson: Man, it's hard to choose one. We all just sit around and crack jokes — everybody's funny. My row in the locker room, we call them rows, my little area, with like 10-15 players on it, and I think we're all funny. We have a lot of fun in there.
Frierson: Is that one of the things you're going to miss, whenever you're done with football, that time in the locker room with the guys?
Johnson: For sure, man. The locker room is one of the most special parts about football. Just being that close with those guys, the camaraderie, it's a group of guys that you've gone through the hardships with, in terms of athletics, and the physical endurance when your body's all tired. You've just got guys around you that you can relate to with that, and also the good parts about it that you can relate to.
You're just sitting in there and it's fun times. Winter and summer workouts, we get in there and we just sit there and lay on the ground for 10 or 15 minutes because we're just exhausted. Just stuff like that, memories like that with all the guys, I'll definitely miss it.
Frierson: Do you have a creative side? Is there anything creative you do or wish you could do?
Johnson: I love content creation. I was thinking about starting my own YouTube channel and I actually did kind of start it. It like gaming and whatnot, playing video games while I record myself. I think that's pretty fun, that content creation. I'm a football player and I'm always known as a football player, but it's kind of cool to be known for something other than that, that you like a lot.
I like playing video games and I think I'm a pretty fun guy to be around, so why not make some content and see if other people feel the same? I have some fun with that.
Frierson: What game are you playing the most right now?
Johnson: Call of Duty, for sure. I'm playing Warzone, I'm playing the new Black Ops, as well. I try to get my hands on some video games, it's a pretty healthy way to pass the time as a football player, I feel like.
Frierson: Do you do that to relax, or is it so intense that while you might be having fun but it's not exactly relaxing?
Johnson: Oh, no, it's definitely relaxing for the most part. It does get intense, but that's part of getting my mind off of football and anything else. I just go out there and play video games and be with some friends on there. It's definitely relaxing.
Frierson: If you could be great at anything for a day, just to experience it, what would it be?
Johnson: Hmmm, that's a tough one. I'd want to be great at magic.
Frierson: OK, that's one I haven't heard before. Do you have an interest in magic or did that just pop into your head?
Johnson: It just kind of popped ... actually, I take that back, I want to be great at singing. I watch all these shows like "American Idol" and "X Factor" and stuff, and obviously, you've got great singers that go across there. It's just amazing that people can sing like that and do stuff like that. I'd want to be a great singer for a day.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Staff Writer
As Jermaine Johnson talked during our Quick Chat on Monday, a beautiful mid-60s day here in Athens, it was 30 degrees back in his hometown of Eden Prairie, Minn. Not everyone is built to handle the many frigid months that Minnesotans endure throughout the year, and Johnson is enjoying our local weather just fine, but he does like being around the snow and cold over the holidays.
The 6-foot-5 and 240-pound senior outside linebacker is second on the team with 4.0 sacks this season, his second with the Bulldogs since coming over from Independence Community College. During our Chat, he also talked about his first dunk, video games, fun times in the locker room and more.
Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: I just looked up the temperature in Eden Prairie a little while ago and it was 30 degrees. What kind of stuff do you have to be made of to live through the weather in Minnesota year after year?
Johnson: You've got to be made of, I don't know, some sort of insulation, under your skin, that you develop over time as you live there. I don't know, it's cold. I grew up in it but that doesn't mean I like it that much.
Frierson: How much do you enjoy the fall and winter that you experience down here?
Johnson: I enjoy it, for sure. The only thing I'll say about Minnesota's winter is that it fulfills the whole holiday feeling around that time, with the snow and everything. Aside from that, after the holidays are over with, I'm done with the snow and the cold.
Frierson: Speaking of holidays, what is your favorite Thanksgiving spread?
Johnson: I like greens, for sure, cornbread, there's got to be some turkey in there — man, we have so many dishes out there. You know those barbecue weenies, the appetizer ones, those are a favorite. And I've got to put some dessert in there, some apple pie or pumpkin pie.
Frierson: What other sports did you play when you were growing? Which ones were you good at?
Johnson: I played basketball, I ran track and I was going to pursue another spring sport but I decided not to. I was good at all sports, I just realized I was probably best at football. I couldn't have been good at other sports but football was already something I was naturally good at. And with some hard work and some time put into it I could be wherever I wanted to be, so I just stuck with that.
Frierson: Going back to your basketball days, do you remember your first dunk?
Johnson: [Laughs] Yeah, I do. I was in probably ninth grade and I hadn't dunked yet but I was tall. Some kids on the older (varsity) team were like, you can dunk, bro. And I was like, no, I can't, I've never dunked. They were like, you can dunk, just try it.
So I just ran up to the hoop and jumped as high as I could and then I don't know I just dunked it. I was surprised, and after that I was dunking all day. My wrist was bleeding from hitting the rim. It was crazy.
Frierson: Who is the funniest guy on the team?
Johnson: Man, it's hard to choose one. We all just sit around and crack jokes — everybody's funny. My row in the locker room, we call them rows, my little area, with like 10-15 players on it, and I think we're all funny. We have a lot of fun in there.
Frierson: Is that one of the things you're going to miss, whenever you're done with football, that time in the locker room with the guys?
Johnson: For sure, man. The locker room is one of the most special parts about football. Just being that close with those guys, the camaraderie, it's a group of guys that you've gone through the hardships with, in terms of athletics, and the physical endurance when your body's all tired. You've just got guys around you that you can relate to with that, and also the good parts about it that you can relate to.
You're just sitting in there and it's fun times. Winter and summer workouts, we get in there and we just sit there and lay on the ground for 10 or 15 minutes because we're just exhausted. Just stuff like that, memories like that with all the guys, I'll definitely miss it.
Frierson: Do you have a creative side? Is there anything creative you do or wish you could do?
Johnson: I love content creation. I was thinking about starting my own YouTube channel and I actually did kind of start it. It like gaming and whatnot, playing video games while I record myself. I think that's pretty fun, that content creation. I'm a football player and I'm always known as a football player, but it's kind of cool to be known for something other than that, that you like a lot.
I like playing video games and I think I'm a pretty fun guy to be around, so why not make some content and see if other people feel the same? I have some fun with that.
Frierson: What game are you playing the most right now?
Johnson: Call of Duty, for sure. I'm playing Warzone, I'm playing the new Black Ops, as well. I try to get my hands on some video games, it's a pretty healthy way to pass the time as a football player, I feel like.
Frierson: Do you do that to relax, or is it so intense that while you might be having fun but it's not exactly relaxing?
Johnson: Oh, no, it's definitely relaxing for the most part. It does get intense, but that's part of getting my mind off of football and anything else. I just go out there and play video games and be with some friends on there. It's definitely relaxing.
Frierson: If you could be great at anything for a day, just to experience it, what would it be?
Johnson: Hmmm, that's a tough one. I'd want to be great at magic.
Frierson: OK, that's one I haven't heard before. Do you have an interest in magic or did that just pop into your head?
Johnson: It just kind of popped ... actually, I take that back, I want to be great at singing. I watch all these shows like "American Idol" and "X Factor" and stuff, and obviously, you've got great singers that go across there. It's just amazing that people can sing like that and do stuff like that. I'd want to be a great singer for a day.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
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