Seattle, WA- Leon Johnson wants to dominate the combine by being perfect and making sure that his name is uttered around the world as the offensive lineman that will be a factor in the NFL, but not many people understand his grind or why he wants to exemplify his imperfections and mold it into the perfect dream. Leon has been dreaming of this moment all of his life, but he had to go through life obstacles in order to be molded into the person that he is today.
Not coming from a family hat had a golden spoon in their mouths, Leon had to overcome the daily struggles of living in a not so positive community, losing friends from situations that he could not control, and just trying to accomplish his goals while trying to survive life itself. However, football was something that he always loved and was his crutch when times got hard. “Football has always been something I was so passionate about. I have dreamt of this day since I was little and it has been a long journey to get here.”
In a psychological sense, football is a positive style of family values. It teaches children discipline, becoming a leader, and taking full responsibility for things that happen that that individual can control. When one person messes up, the whole team messes up and the organic saying that a lot of coaches use is the quote, “There is no I in team.”Leon grew in the football spectrum and with his coaches and friends that supported him grew into a man of integrity, leadership, and a person that is very ambitious. “Anyone can go out there and talk, but your actions will show what type of person that you are.”
Leon is looking forward to the challenge of battling players that have come all around the world for this opportunity, and he is not letting his dream die by any means. “I am ready because I am comfortable in uncomfortable situations and even though millions of eyes are watching me, I have been training all my life for this moment, so I am ready.” He feels like his strength is his athleticism, but he is improving daily with getting his feet moving quickly, locking onto the defender, and knowing the plays.
Coming from Temple and having to go through so many hurdles in life, just to make it to this point, Leon is very motivated. With Pro day only a few days away, it will be interesting to see if this young underdog will break through and concur his dream.
