Quinten Johnson’s injury led him back to Michigan football — and could get him to the NFL

In retrospect, he sees it as a blessing in disguise.

But at the time it happened, it seemed like the cruelest kind of curse.

Here was Quinten Johnson on the doorstep of his dreams in January, days away from the College Football Playoff championship game and a perfect coda to his Michigan football career.

It had been quite a journey just to get to this landmark moment in life. He had tolerated the Wolverines’ crash in 2020, when they slogged to a 2-4 record during the darkness of a global pandemic. He had endured the frustration of being buried on the depth chart as an underclassman. He had suffered through his own crisis of confidence, wondering if his body would continue to betray him and whether he would ever prove his worth at the college level.

But like the team he represented, he had persevered, fighting his way toward the top. Now, he was almost there. One last morning practice remained in Ann Arbor before the Wolverines jetted down to Houston for their shot at glory. The storybook sendoff to the NFL that Johnson envisioned was right there in front of him. But then, as the fifth-year safety left the ground with the ball in the air, he felt a twinge in his left leg as he fell awkwardly. He initially tried to ignore the pain and line up for the next play, hoping nothing was wrong.

“It wasn’t happening though,” Johnson recalled to the Free Press.

Michigan defensive back Quinten Johnson (28) and defensive back Gemon Green (22) tackle TCU quarterback Max Duggan (15) during the first half at the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. on Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022.

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He then went over to the training staff for a quick examination.

“It’s not looking good,” they informed him.

Johnson, as he would come to learn,…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/quinten-johnsons-injury-led-him-100908613.html

Author : Detroit Free Press

Publish date : 2024-06-14 10:09:08

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