Before he stood in front of a room filled with television cameras, reporters, some of his teammates and coaches to announce he'd forego his senior year at Miami to enter the NFL draft, former Hurricanes running back Duke Johnson made a promise to his mother, Cassandra Mitchell.
He vowed that no matter where he was drafted or what his football future held, he'd return to Coral Gables to finish the work needed to get his degree in sports administration.
In the months since that December day, Johnson has done his best to live up to his word, attending classes at Miami while training with Hurricanes' strength and conditioning coach Andreu Swasey.