/Portals/2/logos/__TFMF_c3drh545qvtesl452i42dcq4_2089d6a3-59eb-4d9f-8179-7f6d01223bc7_0___Selected.jpg en-us Copyright 2008 - All Rights Reserved. Wed, 22 May 2013 17:20:55 GMT 15 By Anissa Saenz
The roar of the crowd, the sound of clashing shoulder pads, and the lights of the stadium reflecting off shiny helmets, welcome to a Sunrise Mountain football game, a game that senior Shane Johnson is very familiar with. Johnson has been playing football for four years, playing the positions of middle line backer and left tackle. This year, Johnson has won a National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame award for his praised athleticism and academic successes. Johnson was selected out of 240,000 other students in the Valley of the Sun Chapter. According to the National Football Foundation, the criteria of receiving such an award includes having a minimum GPA average of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, showing superior academic application and performance, displaying outstanding football ability as a first team player, and having demonstrated outstanding school leadership and citizenship. All of which, Johnson has achieved seeing that he was the recipient chosen out of many, many others. Sunrise Mountain’s Head Football Coach James Carter encouraged Johnson to apply for this award. Coach Carter has had the chance to witness Johnson’s athleticism first hand on the field. He describes Johnson as an “outstanding” athlete. “[He’s a] great student, great athlete, and a great person,” Coach Carter said. In order to apply for the award, Johnson had to fill out several questionnaires and had to gather recommendations. When Johnson received the award, he got a big folder in the mail. So how did he feel when he learned he was the recipient of the award he applied for? “I actually felt pretty grateful and kind of surprised because it’s out of a lot of people and I wasn’t really expecting it,” Johnson said. When asked why he thinks he was chosen over all other recipients, Johnson said, “My schoolwork. They [other recipients] might be better athletically, but I put a lot of time in school.” Senior Troy Lyons has been good friends with Johnson since the fifth grade. He admires Johnson’s personality. “He’s goofy and he’s funny and tries to make everything a good time,” Lyons said. “If I hang out with him, he just makes me laugh all the time.” So, does Johnson see a career in NCAA football in the near future? “No, I do not,” Johnson said. Instead, he plans on pursuing the all American sport of baseball. In addition to being a talented athlete, a dedicated student, and a guy that can make his friends laugh, Coach Carter thinks that Johnson continually demonstrates integrity. “He’s the type of kid you can trust, he does the right thing,” Coach Carter said. ]]> Fri, 15 Apr 2011 15:33:20 GMT