EMCC’s Johnson named NJCAA second-team All-American

Published 5:45 pm Thursday, December 15, 2016

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — East Mississippi Community College’s De’Andre Johnson added to his impressive list of individual accomplishments for 2016 by being selected to this year’s NJCAA Football All-America Second Team, as chosen by the NJCAA Football Committee.

Johnson’s most recent honor comes one day after signing with Florida Atlantic University, guided by newly hired head football coach Lane Kiffin.

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The 6-foot-2, 205-pound quarterback led the 11-1 EMCC Lions to a No. 2 final ranking in the NJCAA poll after claiming the program’s fifth MACJC State/Region 23 football championship and eighth MACJC North Division title since 2008. Johnson becomes the seventh quarterback and 24th honoree overall to garner NJCAA All-America recognition under the guidance of ninth-year EMCC head football coach Buddy Stephens.

Also named this year’s Region 23 Most Valuable Player as well as the MACJC North Division’s MVP/Back on offense, Johnson ranked sixth nationally with an average of 240.5 passing yards per game and seventh among the NJCAA ranks with 26 touchdowns thrown. As EMCC’s rushing leader with 834 yards and five touchdowns on the ground, Johnson averaged 316.4 yards of total offense per contest on the season for the Lions.

Twice named NJCAA Offensive Player of the Week and a four-time state weekly selection, Johnson was recently named EMCC’s Mississippi Bowl Offensive MVP after leading the Lions to a 27-17 victory over Kilgore (Texas) College, Dec. 4, in Mississippi Bowl IX played on the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College campus in Perkinston. In addition, Johnson was honored as the Mississippi Bowl Committee Player of the Year in recognition of being the top player on this year’s MACJC state championship team.    

A native of Jacksonville, Fla., Johnson began his collegiate career at Florida State University following a standout prep career at First Coast High School. Previously rated as a four-star prospect and the nation’s No. 7 dual-threat quarterback by ESPN, Johnson completed his prep career with 11,697 passing yards and 131 touchdowns through the air along with 1,091 rushing yards and 23 scores via the ground as a four-year starter. The Under Armour All-America Game participant was tabbed Florida’s 2014 Class 8A Player of the Year and Florida Dairy Farmers Mr. Football after passing for 3,710 yards and 47 touchdowns while running for 398 yards and nine scores as a senior.