When you think of Keyshawn Johnson, you probably think of the celebrity that came with playing for the USC Trojans or just giving him the damn ball in the bright lights of New York City. When it comes to a talented football-playing son, though, Keyshawn’s offspring is carving out an entirely different niche.
In a video posted on Bleacher Report Wednesday morning, Keyshawn Johnson Jr. announced that he has verbally committed to play his college football at Nebraska. The younger Johnson, whose cousin, Michael Thomas, just put the wraps on a productive career as a wide receiver at Ohio State, is a four-star 2017 recruit rated as the No. 37 receiver in the country.
Alabama, Clemson, Florida State, Miami, Tennessee, UCLA and, yes, the alma maters of both his father (USC) and cousin (OSU) had all offered scholarships to the 6-1, 195-pound receiver. Those latter two schools with family ties, plus Alabama and Clemson, were said to be the finalists for Johnson’s services.
Not surprisingly, the commitment was warmly received in the offices of Cornhuskers football -- well, as warmly as it can be received when it comes to commenting on unsigned recruits.The #Huskers just got better today, what a time to be a Husker! #GBR 🔴🌽🏈
— Mike Riley (@Coach_Riley) March 23, 2016
Junior’s famous father also chimed in on the decision, intimating that the author of the above tweet played a significant role in his son’s move.
Relationships and trust go a long way in making this decision #GBR
— Keyshawn Johnson (@keyshawn) March 23, 2016
The elder Keyshawn was a wide receiver at USC in 1994 and 1995 before becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 1996 NFL draft. His offensive coordinator during those two seasons in Troy? His son’s future head coach.
