Austin Johnson doesn’t have to look further than his mother’s kitchen to remember how he reached this point.
Amidst a collage of newspaper clippings and photos – all family accomplishments; all stuck to the refrigerator – lies the moment Johnson first knew his future was in football. If not for his high school coach or that play, now a 6-year-old clipping, he might’ve continued obsessing over “Space Jam” or Michael Jordan instead of amassing 70 tackles and 13 tackles-for-loss this season for the Nittany Lions.
“It’s kind of a reminder,” said Johnson, a redshirt junior defensive tackle.