By Ernie Gonzalez (@superego1012):
Wide receiver Rahshead Johnson had one of the most explosive offensive performances by a Spartan Oct. 14 against the University of Hawaii.
Johnson picked up 278 yards from scrimmage and found paydirt three times — including a 96-yard kickoff return — the first in five seasons for the Spartans.
“We’ve been having a lot of people banged up,” Johnson said. “Me being fresh, I took that as an opportunity.”
The junior made an immediate impact after missing the previous seven games of the season.
But that was Oct. 14.
Two weeks later in Provo, Utah, Johnson was tasked with kick return duties again.
He caught the ball at the goal line, patiently paced 14 yards searching for a gap to accelerate and was blindsided by an unblocked Cougars’ special teams player, resulting in a loose football and a BYU fumble recovery.
The football wasn’t the only loss on the play however. Johnson was down. Not moving.
With Johnsons’ absence from the gridiron for the Spartans’ first seven games, it was presumed but never confirmed that the 5-foot-10, 178-pound wideout was sidelined because of injury.
Head coach Brent Brennan never talks about injuries. It’s one of his mantras every podium visit. It’s an extra challenge on reporters — and perhaps opponents too — to game plan.
Johnson was healthy, however. At least up to the BYU game.
He had been struggling in the classroom and took the time to improve his grades before he could put his cleats back on.
“It wasn’t an injury,” Johnson said. “I just had to take care of some important business.”
Turns out that “important business” was school, something Johnson’s father Rodney, has put emphasis on since he was young.
Johnson was raised in Compton, a city stereotypically known for its poverty and violence.
“There was just a shooting last night,” Rodney told The Spear. “That’s one of the reasons why I drew most of his attention to sports. I wanted him to be able to find a way to get out of here.”
Johnson made it out ranked the 19th best receiver in the nation and 13th best athlete in California during his senior season at Long Beach’s Cabrillo High School.
Initially, he didn’t have to travel very far for football as he committed to USC, just 20 minutes up the Harbor Freeway.
“Once they called and offered me, I committed on the spot,” Johnson said. “I took other visits, but it was already in the bag.”
Johnson’s area has produced not only college-level talent, but NFL-level talent, too. He remains close friends with many high-grade athletes.
Current NFL receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster, John Ross, Marqise Lee, Nelson Agholor and Adoree Jackson have all shared sidelines with Johnson throughout not only his time at USC, but before high school.
One of the reasons why is a man named Haamid Wadood, the father of current UCLA safety Jaleel Wadood, and former Pop-Warner football coach.
“Jaleel was the quarterback. JuJu and Ross were the receivers. Rahshead was the tailback,” Wadood said. “We didn’t lose a game.”
Talk about a superteam. All would receive Division I scholarships and two are currently key contributors on NFL rosters.
The team was a part of rapper Snoop Dogg’s youth football league in Long Beach, Calif., still commissioned to this day by Wadood.
Other SJSU players who have played in the Snoop league include corner Chandler Hawkins and safety David Williams.
Johnson’s time at USC was short-lived. His father described it as Rahshead not wanting to play offense.
“We had a talk,” Rodney said.“If it was up to me, I wish he would have stayed at USC. But that was his decision.”
For Johnson, he just wanted to start over.
“I just feel like I wanted to start fresh and something new,” Johnson said. “USC being a school of history, I wanted to go make history somewhere else.”
Coincidentally, Johnson chose San Jose State, the same program his former coach Wadood played for in 1989 as a cornerback behind defensive backs coach Herm Edwards.
Edwards is a former New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs head coach and a current ESPN NFL analyst.
Rodney said it was SJSU’s Donte Williams, the defensive backs coach in 2015 that convinced Johnson to join the Spartans and secured him a spot on the field.
Not long after, Williams departed from SJSU for Arizona and Johnson was left fighting not only for a defensive role, but a role in general.
Johnson would earn his spot on SJSU as a pass catcher in 2016, starting six games and catching 16 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns.
Fast forward to November of 2017, Johnson — who had just fulfilled the requirements of being able to play again — can’t because of an injury, a concussion.
“We lost a good player, probably for the year,” said head coach Brent Brennan about losing Johnson early in the BYU game. “It’s a frustrating deal. I feel bad for Rahshead.”
Who wouldn’t? Transferring isn’t simple, especially to a place where you chose to leave home.
Going from a Trojan to a Spartan is one thing. However, coming back and giving every ounce of effort to go from classroom to gridiron only to get wrecked on a kickoff return one game after returning one for a touchdown is another.
As for Johnson, one thing’s certain. He can catch footballs and return kicks, but can’t catch a break.