Hall of Fame
Jerry Johnson was so excited by his selection to the Hall of Fame he initially told no one but his fiance, Kiki Tate. “I was so excited I had to take it all in,” said Johnson. “My mind was all over the place.”
Johnson, who lives in his hometown of Monroe, La., and works as a systems operator monitoring residential water systems, was part of the best defensive backfield in UAM history. In 1988, Johnson and teammates Mac Newcomb, Gvona Turner and Craig Jones combined to intercept 22 passes and hold opposing quarterbacks to a completion percentage of .372.
Johnson, a cornerback, earned second team NAIA All-America honors that season on what was arguably the best football team in school history. The Boll Weevils posted a 10-2 record and reached the NAIA Division I playoffs for the first time in school history. Johnson intercepted eight passes, returning one for a touchdown. He finished his career with 16 interceptions, a school record he shares with Shelby Lowery, who set the mark in 1968.
Not bad for a guy who was lightly recruited. As a senior at Monroe (La.) Neville High, Johnson was getting calls from junior colleges and receiving passing interest from four-year schools asking him to walk on. Johnson determined to sign with the first school that showed genuine interest. Tommy Barnes, at the time an assistant on Harold Tilley’s UAM staff, was recruiting the Monroe area and called Johnson during his senior year to tell him the Boll Weevils were interested.
Johnson stepped into the starting lineup as a freshman in 1985, picking off two passes. He made two interceptions as a sophomore, grabbed four more as a junior and set what was then a single-season school record with eight interceptions in 1988, including two in a playoff victory over Washburn. The Boll Weevils were 29-11 during Johnson’s four-year career.
In addition being named a second team All-American, Johnson was a two-time first team All-Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference and All-NAIA District 17 selection. “My best memories will always be the camaraderie and friendship I had with Mac, Gvona, Craig and the rest of my teammates,” said Johnson. “That was special.”
