‘Nobody has a better attitude’: Columbia product caps Clemson career with 5th playoff
Denzel Johnson probably couldn’t imagine the goals he’d accomplish when he joined Clemson football in 2014.
He was going to a program that had won 10 games every season for four years in a row, with one ACC title in that stretch. He’s set to finish his career in the next few weeks as a member of five College Football Playoff teams.
And it’s all gone by pretty fast.
“I remember being a redshirt freshman,” Johnson said ahead of Saturday’s Fiesta Bowl against Ohio State. “Now I’m about to be done. I got two games left, so it is crazy. It went by fast.”
The Tigers snatched him from the backyard of their in-state rival South Carolina. A star at A.C. Flora High School, he wasn’t that highly regarded of a recruit.
The Gamecocks wanted him to grayshirt — or delay his enrollment — as they were bringing in a massive recruiting class. He didn’t particularly like the idea, and the pace at Clemson suited him well.
It wasn’t too far from home. He liked the campus, the feel, the players. And it had another feature that got his attention.
“Has a beautiful lake,” Johnson said. “I love to go fishing. So that was another big key.”
His career was a bit of a slow burn.
He redshirted to start, then played smaller roles across two years. As veterans moved on, he eventually slid into a rotation role, playing 25 snaps a game in 2018 and 20 a game in 2019.
It’s a modest role, the No. 4 safety on one of the best defenses in the country, and it’s one he accepted.
“It’s huge because the attitude that he brings,” safeties coach Mickey Conn said. “We say that attitude is everything. Nobody has a better attitude than Denzel, and just bringing that into our defense and on the Clemson team is just remarkable. His humility in taking his role and just being the best, it has been great.”
Conn said Johnson brings a smile daily and a level of knowledge to the secondary.
After his career finishes up in the next two weeks, he’ll take his shot at the NFL. And if it doesn’t work out, he’s got his degree and some plans going forward.
He said he’s looking at a few opportunities in business, and has been in contact with companies and had some interviews. Two big ones run a particularly wide gamut.
“GE Healthcare, I’ve been talking with them a lot,” Johnson said. “I’ve been talking with them a lot. World’s Finest Chocolate, I’ve been talking to them a lot.
“Chocolate is always good.”
When is the Fiesta Bowl?
Who: Clemson (13-0) vs. Ohio State (13-0)
Where: PlayStation Fiesta Bowl in Phoenix
When: 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 28
TV: ESPN
Early line: Clemson by 2
