But beyond the hype of Johnson returning to his roots to once again showcase his talent — now as the starting quarterback for Clark Atlanta and against a team in Albany State he once nearly signed with before changing his mind — it’s not that big of a deal.
For him, it’s only another game.
“It’s (just) Game 7,” he told The Herald on Wednesday about his team that is 4-2 overall and 3-1 in the SIAC, while downplaying his long-awaited return since the days when he would dazzle Panthers fans.
More important to Johnson about Saturday’s ASU homecoming game is the fact he’ll have a chance to help Clark Atlanta win a fourth consecutive conference game.
Of course, considering the Panthers — coincidentally the same nickname as his high school team — have gone 11-21 during coach Ted Bahhur’s first three years, this is more than just a game. It’s one that could finally held change the perception of a Clark Atlanta program that had struggled in recent years.
And if that happens, Johnson might be largely to thank.
Currently, he ranks second in the conference in total offense with 1,020 yards passing, 347 rushing and eight total touchdowns. While at Americus (which became Americus-Sumter during Johnson’s senior season in 2004), he rotated with Clyde Tullis under center while helping lead the Panthers to the 2001 GHSA Class AA title, and then was a full-time starter, leading the Panthers to the semifinals the next year before losing against Buford, 38-12.
“Cedric has a few things you would love a quarterback to have,” Bahhur said of Johnson, who is co-owner of the career Georgia state prep touchdown-passing mark (92 from 2001-04, tied with Charlton County’s Jeremy Privett, who played from 2000-03). “When he sees something, it’s there. He’s going to take it and change the play at will. A lot of quarterbacks are either very reluctant to change the play or can’t read it well enough to change the plays. He can.”
Regardless of how well he is doing individually, Johnson said he is truly enjoying his team’s overall success (they lost the season opener, 24-19, against SIAC foe Fort Valley State and lost last Saturday against FCS team Savannah State, 17-14).
“Around Clark Atlanta these days, it’s been like, ‘What? Does Clark Atlanta have a football team?’ ” Johnson said.
Chances are, most know it now.
And for those who had been familiar with Clark Atlanta in the past, it was likely because of the Panthers’ usually stout defense. With Johnson, the Panthers are the most balanced they had been in years.
He passed for 175 yards and rushed for 99 more, scoring a touchdown against Savannah State and was Co-SIAC Offensive Player of the Week after passing for 298 yards (two touchdowns) and then rushing for 57 (four more scores) in a 48-36 win against Stillman on Sept. 13. And before that, he was the conference’s Newcomer of the Week after passing for 187 yards and a TD, as well as rushing for 62 more yards and another score in a 28-3 win against West Georgia on Sept. 6.
But the fact that Johnson plays for Albany State’s homecoming opponent is somewhat ironic, considering he was close to becoming a Ram himself at one time. He played last season at Jacksonville State after transferring from Copiah-Lincoln (Miss.) Community College for two years because — although he originally signed with Illinois out of Americus-Sumter — he said his SAT scores were not high enough.
At Copiah-Lincoln, he accounted for more than 3,000 yards and had 34 total touchdowns and was MVP of the 2006 Golden Isles Bowl before signing with Jacksonville State. There, he saw regular game action before starting for the first time in the ninth game against Memphis, where he passed for 214 yards and rushed for 71 more. He led the Gamecocks in total offense with 1,871 total yards and 10 touchdowns by season’s end.
But Johnson was then kicked off Jacksonville State’s team right before spring practice for violating team rules and at first planned to transfer to Albany State, but never enrolled. Instead, he decided on Clark Atlanta.
“He was down here for almost two days and met with the people here on campus and we all thought it was a go,” Rams coach Mike White said. “Then all of the sudden we couldn’t get in contact with him and found out he was in Atlanta.”
Johnson said the decision stemmed from the fact he just felt more comfortable playing at Clark Atlanta.
“I just had to sit down and think it over and I was just thinking (that) Albany State was close to home and I knew a lot of people who live in Albany, so that was a ...
distraction,” Johnson said. “I was trying to get away from that.”
That was only one motivation t o play for another team.
“I wanted to go somewhere and turn something around,” he added. “I love challenges. I don’t like nothing being given to me. I like to work for what I get, and I want to make a name for myself.”
And Saturday, he might just take one more step in doing that.
