Football
16in16: Campbell Sabers


As just one of three returning starters on offense for Campbell this season, Terrell Johnson knows he'll play an integral role both on and off the field.

Johnson, a 6-foot-1, 213-pound running back, had a breakout season as a junior when he rushed for a team-high 931 yards and 10 touchdowns. His backfield mate from a year ago, Austin May (652 rush yards, 7 TDs) has graduated, leaving Johnson to shoulder most of the load offensively in 2015.

It's a role that Johnson is all but ready for this fall.

"I'm just ready to play," said Johnson, who averaged 6.2 yards per carry and rushed for over 100 yards in five games last year, including a season-high 151 yards on just 11 carries in a season-opening win over Castle.

That's something that head coach Amosa Amosa is glad to hear.

"He's going to have to do everything this year," Amosa said. "We're going to move him all over the place. Not just running the ball, but we're going to get him outside (at wide receiver) and we feel like he's one of a kind and not only a great running back, but also a guy that can catch the ball and present some matchup problems for some people that we'll see."

With juniors Siaosi Soto, last year's JV starter, and Kawika Ulufale, a transfer from Saint Francis, battling it out for the starting quarterback job, Amosa is looking for Johnson to help make that transition as seamless as possible.

"We're building things around TJ," said Amosa, who enters his eighth season as Sabers' head coach. "We just want Siaosi and Kawika to come in and manage the passing game and we need to use TJ to really get our offense going, so that's going to be our key this year."

Johnson, who participated in camps at the University of Oregon, Oregon State University and the University of Washington this summer, said the decision to add wide receiver to his repertoire was his own and made with his future in mind.

"I just felt like I could improve more on my catching and my route running because I know that colleges look at that and like it when a guy can play two positions," said Johnson, who was lined up at receiver in the eighth grade.

Amosa said it's a good idea on Johnson's part.

"Marketability-wise, I think it can really help him, because as a running back you've really got to get big numbers, so the more things he can do, the better off he'll be," Amosa said. "He's gotten stronger and put on some good weight, so I'm pretty with his progress so far heading toward his senior year."

Aside from improving his athletic prowess, Johnson has also been working diligently on his leadership skills this summer.

"I try to be more of a vocal leader," Johnson said. "I wasn't very vocal last year because I was just a junior and we had a bunch of seniors last year, so I'm just trying to be a better teammate, just be more vocal and give all my energy to my underclassmen so they can learn."

- Kalani Takase





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