Senior Appreciation Isaiah Johnson #1, RS SR, Became a Jacket on 6/13/09

Bruce Wayne

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Senior Appreciation: http://4te.ch/seniors2014

Mr. Johnson of Tyrone, GA was rated as a 3* safety and recruited by Giff Smith and Buzz Preston out of Sandy Creek HS (AKA Megatron's HS). He was highly touted coming out of HS as he earned all-state, all-region, and all county honors as a safety in 2009 and was rated 9th in the AJC's "Fab 50" list. Johnson chose Tech over a slew of scholarship offers, including from: Duke; UGA; Miami (FL); Ole Miss; South Carolina; and Stanford.

Clearly Johnson knew what he wanted in coming to Tech as he was considered an "ambassador" of his recruiting class and valued the education he would receive at Tech. This latter attribute is evidenced by his having made both Tech's Dean's List as well as the ACC Academic Honor Roll. He served on the GT Student-Athlete Advisory Board in 2012-13 and earned a bachelor's degree in Management as well as spending his senior year studying in Tech's graduate program for Building Construction. He is also known for his community service such as volunteering in homeless shelters and going back to his middle school to mentor the kids (see picture below).

As a true freshmen in 2010 Johnson played in all 13 games and started three. He earned Honorable Mention Freshmen All-American (Football News) and Fifth Team Freshmen All-American (Football News) for a stat line of 46 fumbles, including 28 solo tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, one sack, two fumble recoveries, one interception, one forced fumble and one pass break-up. In 2011 Isaiah was Tech's 2nd leading tackler with 78 (48 solo) while starting all 13 games and snagging 3 interceptions, including a pick-6 against NC State on Oct. 1st. 2012 saw more of the same as Johnson led the team with 87 tackles (53 solo) and a pick-6 against BYU on Oct. 27th.

After the 2012 season while preparing for the bowl game is when Isaiah's story becomes a familiar one after we reviewed the careers of his classmates Perkins and Bostic. Johnson tore his ACL plus two other knee ligaments and although he could have been medically cleared to play near the end of the 2013 season he was still not fully confident in his knee and decided to take his red-shirt year. The recovery was difficult, as he shared his experience with the Macon Telegraph's Stan Awtrey, but he did not sit around soaking in the sun on the sidelines but remained a focused and team player:

“I had to pump myself up like I was going to play,” Johnson said. “I had to stay focused on the game. The coaches told me to look at the safeties and let them know how they could improve. I wasn’t at the game as an audience member or a fan. I was there helping my team out, helping the defense get better. I was relaying the messages that needed to be said.”

Coming back and getting up to game speed still took some time in his senior campaign, yet despite some inconsistencies he still was able to have a triumphant finish to his Tech career. He earned his second career ACC Defensive Back of the Week award on Oct. 27th for his game against Pitt where he tied a career high with 14 tackles and added in a forced fumble plus a 7 yard fumble recovery. At the end of his senior campaign he was recognized by his teammates with his second Team Defensive Effort Award, proving that he knew the value of hard work, much like an earlier alumnus from Sandy Creek who also had NFL Scout's attention from the time he set foot on the Tech campus.

Isaiah Johnson leaves Tech now but occupies a spot in the program's record books as, just like on the jersey he wore, he is now ranked # One in career tackles by a defensive back with 275.

Career Highs:
Tackles: 14, twice, at Pitt, Oct. 25, 2014, at Clemson, Oct. 6, 2012
TFL: 2.0 vs. Virginia, Sept. 15, 2012; at Clemson, Oct. 6, 2012, at Georgia, Nov. 29, 2014
Sacks: 1.0, three times
FC: 1 vs. South Carolina State, Sept. 4, 2010; 1 vs. Boston College, Oct. 20, 2012
FR: 1, seven times, last at Georgia, Nov. 29, 2014
FF: 1, four times, last at Georgia, Nov. 29, 2014
Interceptions: 1, six times, last vs. Miami, Oct. 4, 2014
Interception Return: 34 at NC State, Oct. 1, 2011
PB: 2, at North Carolina, Oct. 18, 2014
 
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jwsavhGT

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Bruce Wayne

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I have found a large amount of great video clips for Isaiah. Feel free to post more as you locate them, especially as I have trouble figuring out how to post things from social media or ESPN. I also haven't located a HS highlight video for him.

Here he is with Wes Durham in 2011, interesting that his decision to go to Tech was not influenced by Calvin having gone there from Sandy Creek:


Some Senior year videos of interest. Here he is in the Spring Game in his first chance to be seen in action after his injury:


Next is a great play in the 2nd quarter against Miami:


Here is an interview Johnson gave before the Pitt game and so after the team had lost two games in a row plus the defense had just had its worst game of the year against UNC. It is intriguing to watch in retrospect given we now know that Isaiah would go out against Pitt and earn All ACC DB of the Week honors:


And then there is this one which needs no introduction:
 

Bruce Wayne

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Some pics of Isaiah Johnson.

The afore-mentioned trip he made back to his Middle School to mentor kids (and according to Twitter he was there during a school "lockdown" over an intruder alert. I have no doubt he would have tackled the intruder for a 5 yard loss):

BnJPOxMCQAA6lRs.jpg


The pic against Miami in 2014:
Johnson.png


Not sure of the context just a nice shot:
Johnson1.jpg


Likely a pick-6 (btw, this is not a thread for uniform comments :p):
ncf_u_ijohnson_jh_200.jpg


From the Pitt game where he earned ACC Weekly honors . . . Check out those eyes! In his interviews he always stresses the importance of having the eyes in the right place as a D-Back:
Georgia_Tech_Pittsburgh_Isaiah_Johnson.jpg


Repeat from Bostic's thread but deservedly so:
Swarm.png


And the sweet taste of victory comes in both the flavor of hedges or oranges:

 

Eric

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Isaiah Johnson was excellent this season...really grew into his potential and played very good for us...had some big plays this year and showed he wasn't afraid to hit.

I will always remember how well he played vs uga this year.
 

takethepoints

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I really like it that Isaiah came back from a pretty bad injury. Like Perkins, he could have quit football and nobody would have thought the worse of him for doing so. But he did come back and, like Golden, once he got a couple of games under his belt, he was the really good player he always promised to be. Thanks, Isaiah!

And thanks to Bruce for these appreciation threads!
 

Essobee

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..."just like on the jersey he wore, he is now ranked # One in career tackles by a defensive back with 275."

Wow. Looks like IJ is another senior we will greatly miss. Thanks for the info, BW, and thanks for being a key part of this wonderful team, IJ.
 

dressedcheeseside

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I'll eat crow all day on Isaiah. I called him out early in the season for this and that, but like Eric said he turned in one helluva sr yr performance. What sticks out to me the most was how hard he hit somebody, just glad it's not me! I wonder how much coach Roof had on his development post injury? Roof could really lay the lumber in his day which happened to be my day as well. :)

Now that I think about it seems many of our departing sr's had a redemption song sr year.
 

iceeater1969

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Isaiah - this year once we started to play aggressive Defense this year ( second half of first part of year and both halves the last part) Your skills were put on display and display them you did. I want to thank you for the major part you played in the last 4 games. These games will be celebrated in ga tech football history. Helluva athlete.
Thanks especially for the uga game!
 

Minawreck

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Always thought he was one who suffered from the passive cerebral mind of Al Groh. Took way too much garbage from fans. He will have the measurables to get drafted. Best of luck Mr. Johnson.
 

alaguy

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As a Frosh I thought he was the 2nd coming of Burnett ,great potential. The injury etc all but killed those thoughts unfortunately but having a wonderful SR yr is bittersweet--how the lost yrs hurt but SO sweet to remember the last-that tackle for the uga fumble was amazing.We will miss those 200 lbs of man next yr.
 

GT_Johnnybodkin

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I will always remember Isaiah Johnson for a play I saw in practice:

Joshua Nesbitt pitched the ball to Roddy Jones- Immediately as Roddy caught the pitch, Isaiah pancaked Roddy. It was a huge hit that really showed what kind of player Isaiah was.
 

awbuzz

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He definitey improved over the year. Just as he did over the course of 2014. The "light" came on. No doubt in my mind that he played hard all the time, but just as important it appeared that he played smarted as the season progressed.
Thanks IJ!
 
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