University of Georgia Athletics
Quick Chat: Jaylen Johnson
September 03, 2021 | Football, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Jaylen Johnson believed in himself, his abilities and his work ethic, and through that belief and that work, the Georgia junior has forged his own path and made his dreams a reality.
A 6-foot-2 wide receiver from Duluth, Ga., Johnson walked on to the team in 2018 and redshirted. In 2019, he played in three games and pulled in two receptions, for 20 yards. Last season, Johnson played in all 10 games but didn't have a catch, though he was active on special teams. On Saturday night, Johnson and the fifth-ranked Bulldogs open their season against No. 2 Clemson, in the Duke's Mayo Classic at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.
Johnson was All-County and All-Region as a senior at Peachtree Ridge High School, catching 36 passes for 490 yards. When the collegiate offers that he was looking for didn't come his way, Johnson decided to bet on himself and come to UGA as a preferred walk-on. If the football didn't work out, he'd still be getting an excellent education.
During a recent Quick Chat, Johnson talked about walking on, how baseball helps him in football, and much more. Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: What went into your decision to walk on here at Georgia?
Johnson: I really didn't get the offers that I wanted or may have thought I deserved in that moment, and I always wanted to go to a big school and play for a Power 5 school — that was always a dream of mine.
When I got the opportunity to be a preferred walk-on at UGA, me and my parents talked about it and prayed about it, and we figured that it was on me, that I could bet on myself. Worst-case scenario, I would still be at a great school and get a great degree. But I always knew in the back of my head that I could do it because I always believed in my abilities. I realized that if I just put my head down and just worked, my ambition and my work ethic would take me wherever I wanted to go.
Frierson: What does it mean to you to be in the position you're in now?
Johnson: It means everything to me because it was really hard, I'll be honest. To keep going every day and to not see a lot of progress at first, especially those first two years. You're like, wow, is this for me? It has you questioning your ability a lot when you don't see a lot of progress.
I have to give a lot of credit to my dad (Kegan Johnson), really. He was in my corner and every day I could call him and vent to him about the situation. And he always told me it would get better, that this was adversity, this was life. He said life would hit me when I got to college and it was time to be a man.
I could either back down or face it, and I really feel like I faced it and it's paying off.
Frierson: What other sports did you play growing up? What were you good at and maybe not so good at?
Johnson: I was good at baseball; baseball was probably my No. 1 sport for a long time. I also played basketball — I was all right, I wasn't anything like football or baseball. Baseball was my No. 1 sport until I got to about eighth grade. That was when football became my No. 1 and my best option.
Frierson: Is there anything in baseball that helps you in football?
Johnson: Yes, actually. A lot of receivers, if it's a low ball, instead of diving to go get it, a lot of times I'll slide like I'm sliding into a base or making a sliding catch. I feel like that's the No. 1 thing that baseball helped me with in football, just being able to hit the ground during the slide and maintain concentration on the ball and still catch it. In baseball, if you're in the outfield you've got to make those sliding catches all the time.
Frierson: Who is the funniest guy on the team?
Johnson: Ooh, that's a tough one because we've got so many. Jermaine Burton is up there, definitely. That's one guy you can never be mad around because he's going to say something that's going to make you laugh.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Staff Writer
Jaylen Johnson believed in himself, his abilities and his work ethic, and through that belief and that work, the Georgia junior has forged his own path and made his dreams a reality.
A 6-foot-2 wide receiver from Duluth, Ga., Johnson walked on to the team in 2018 and redshirted. In 2019, he played in three games and pulled in two receptions, for 20 yards. Last season, Johnson played in all 10 games but didn't have a catch, though he was active on special teams. On Saturday night, Johnson and the fifth-ranked Bulldogs open their season against No. 2 Clemson, in the Duke's Mayo Classic at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.
Johnson was All-County and All-Region as a senior at Peachtree Ridge High School, catching 36 passes for 490 yards. When the collegiate offers that he was looking for didn't come his way, Johnson decided to bet on himself and come to UGA as a preferred walk-on. If the football didn't work out, he'd still be getting an excellent education.
During a recent Quick Chat, Johnson talked about walking on, how baseball helps him in football, and much more. Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: What went into your decision to walk on here at Georgia?
Johnson: I really didn't get the offers that I wanted or may have thought I deserved in that moment, and I always wanted to go to a big school and play for a Power 5 school — that was always a dream of mine.
When I got the opportunity to be a preferred walk-on at UGA, me and my parents talked about it and prayed about it, and we figured that it was on me, that I could bet on myself. Worst-case scenario, I would still be at a great school and get a great degree. But I always knew in the back of my head that I could do it because I always believed in my abilities. I realized that if I just put my head down and just worked, my ambition and my work ethic would take me wherever I wanted to go.
Frierson: What does it mean to you to be in the position you're in now?
Johnson: It means everything to me because it was really hard, I'll be honest. To keep going every day and to not see a lot of progress at first, especially those first two years. You're like, wow, is this for me? It has you questioning your ability a lot when you don't see a lot of progress.
I have to give a lot of credit to my dad (Kegan Johnson), really. He was in my corner and every day I could call him and vent to him about the situation. And he always told me it would get better, that this was adversity, this was life. He said life would hit me when I got to college and it was time to be a man.
I could either back down or face it, and I really feel like I faced it and it's paying off.
Frierson: What other sports did you play growing up? What were you good at and maybe not so good at?
Johnson: I was good at baseball; baseball was probably my No. 1 sport for a long time. I also played basketball — I was all right, I wasn't anything like football or baseball. Baseball was my No. 1 sport until I got to about eighth grade. That was when football became my No. 1 and my best option.
Frierson: Is there anything in baseball that helps you in football?
Johnson: Yes, actually. A lot of receivers, if it's a low ball, instead of diving to go get it, a lot of times I'll slide like I'm sliding into a base or making a sliding catch. I feel like that's the No. 1 thing that baseball helped me with in football, just being able to hit the ground during the slide and maintain concentration on the ball and still catch it. In baseball, if you're in the outfield you've got to make those sliding catches all the time.
Frierson: Who is the funniest guy on the team?
Johnson: Ooh, that's a tough one because we've got so many. Jermaine Burton is up there, definitely. That's one guy you can never be mad around because he's going to say something that's going to make you laugh.
(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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