Dijon Johnson has moved into a starting role in Florida's injury-depleted secondary and contributed a huge fourth-down tackle in the victory over LSU.
Gators DB Johnson's Turnaround Made a Mother Very Thankful
Thursday, November 28, 2024 | Football, Scott Carter
Share:
By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Not so long ago, Najiyah Henderson wasn't sure what Thanksgiving Day might look like for her family.
Henderson had three kids in the house, and between juggling multiple jobs and nursing school, she didn't have an extra minute to spare. So, whether a teacher called about a missed assignment or, worse, the housing manager or police called about delinquent behavior, Henderson was often pushed to her limits.
"It was very tough,'' Henderson said over the phone from Tampa this week.
Gators sophomore defensive back Dijon Johnson shared the home with Henderson, his mother, and a brother and sister. They didn't live in the best part of town, and temptation stood at every street corner.
Johnson was not immune to saying yes to things he should have said no to. He hung around kids who traveled one-way roads to a dead end, blew off his homework, and kept his mom up at night.
"Where he comes from, kind of a rough upbringing,'' Henderson said. "He had to go to an alternative school."
Johnson spent eighth grade at the Dorothy Thomas Exceptional Center, described on its official Facebook page as a "K-12 school that offers a therapeutic, educational setting for students in need of emotional and behavioral support."
Johnson made the grade at the school, but when it was time for high school, Henderson sought to transition him back into standard public school and maybe a brighter future. He transferred to Wharton High School and did not play football his freshman season.
If there was one part of his turbulent childhood that Johnson connected with the strongest, it was the game he started playing when he was 5. He would spend hours in the yard playing football with Antonio Pore, his only brother on his mom's side of the family.
Sometimes, football seemed the only thing Johnson had an interest in.
"He was going really, really hard, and he was just loving it, but the thing was, he was settling in school because he loved football so much,'' Henderson said. "I was like, 'Well, what about homework?' I had to hide the pads and hide the football and say, 'If you're not doing your school work, you're not going to practice.' " Gators cornerback Dijon Johnson has started three of the last four games. (Photo: Molly Kaiser/UAA Communications)
Henderson wanted an easier path for her kids.
She got pregnant with Dijon while a student at Wharton, dropped out and later earned her GED. Dijon's father, also named Dijon Johnson, remained a part of his son's life, but he had another family that now includes eight boys and a girl.
By his sophomore year, Johnson began to show signs that he had turned a corner. He cut ties with some bad influences and began to make better decisions even when his parents were not around.
Johnson realized that his competitive fire could take him to great heights on the field and, as a residual benefit, in life.
"I think I get that from both of my parents,'' Johnson said. "Seeing my mom work all these different jobs and never quit and never giving in. And then my dad, he's just got that 'oomph' to him. He always wants to be the best at what he's doing. That's what drove and motivated me."
Playing for former Southern Cal and NFL receiver Mike Williams at Wharton, Johnson blossomed as a junior defensive back for the Wildcats. That season, he returned four interceptions for touchdowns and began to draw interest from some of the top college football programs in the country, including Ohio State and Florida.
Williams, who spent three seasons at Wharton and is now in his first year as director of player development at USC, built a talented roster that included Johnson, Miami defensive lineman Booker Pickett Jr., Boston College linebacker Daveon Crouch and USF receiver Arkese Parks. College recruiters showed up regularly, and Johnson's offers continued to increase.
He committed to Ohio State in the spring before his senior year, but after visiting Florida's Friday Night Lights camp in July 2022, Johnson's interest in the Gators grew. He committed to UF in October 2022 in the same 24-hour period as teammate Bryce Thornton.
In last week's win over Ole Miss, Johnson appeared to catch a game-clinching interception in the final minutes off Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart. He jumped from Florida Field and raced to the end zone to celebrate the moment with recruits at the game, with dozens of his teammates following his lead. Replay officials overturned the play – the ball touched the ground as Johnson attempted to catch it – but moments later, Thornton's second interception sealed Florida's 24-17 win over the ninth-ranked Rebels.
After playing on special teams as a freshman and a reserve most of this season, Johnson has started three of the last four games as injuries depleted Florida's secondary. He has produced 23 tackles, including a career-high six in the victory over LSU two weeks ago.
"DD has impressed me with his toughness," Gators head coach Billy Napier said. "DD is playing through injury. He's in there every day in the training room working his way through it. Stepped up in a major way. DD has really grown up in my eyes. He's matured. I have a ton of respect for him just in terms of where he was at when I first met him to who he is as a young man today.
"He's grown quite a bit."
Johnson's journey has been one marked by growing pains. He is starting to reap their benefit on the field, such as a fourth-down tackle against LSU that gave the Gators the ball.
"I think that set the tone for the day,'' Johnson said. "We played with great energy after that. It was electric after that to hear the crowd. You get to play SEC ball and go against the best competition there is in the country. I want to go against those guys."
Napier moved up practice on Thanksgiving to give players who live close enough to campus to get home for Thanksgiving. Henderson was thankful.
She recently moved into a bigger home and planned to have Thanksgiving dinner at her place for the first time. She said Dijon planned to be there. Antonio, a freshman defensive lineman at Minnesota State Community and Technical College in Fergus Falls, Minn., plans to come home for Christmas.
Dijon Johnson during last week's victory over No. 9-ranked Ole Miss at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. (Photo: Catherine McCarthy/UAA Communications)
Henderson is as busy as ever, but she does not worry about Dijon nearly as much as she used to.
"It was like a light bulb went off when he hit high school,'' she said. "I used to bash him a lot but didn't bash him for the wrong reason. I bashed him because I knew he could be so much better. I love that for him. I'm so proud of him.
"He did a [180]. It's very amazing. He and my other son were headed for destruction."
Neither Dijon nor Henderson identified an ah-ha moment. The transformation happened over time, and many positive influences contributed to it.
Johnson played the most crucial part, of course. He had to believe a better life was possible and make the right decisions to make it happen. The game he fell in love with at 5 opened the door.
"I love the process,'' he said. "Truly, I started picking up confidence toward the middle of my freshman year. I started picking up confidence and juice, 'Oh yeah, I belong here.' I just had to learn the plays, learn the scheme, and learn how to work in college. It's been great ever since."
And perhaps, after all the ups and downs they have been through together, never more significant than on this Thanksgiving at Henderson's dinner table.
"She has always been a provider for us and that voice that we could come to talk to,'' Johnson said. "She always wanted the best for us."
