Published: 12:22 AM, Thu Feb 04, 2010
Bucs' Johnson one of 41 region players who signed Wednesday
When the annual Army-Navy football game is played this year, Eric Johnson shouldn't expect his father to don blue.
That's because the elder Johnson, who goes by the same name as the Jack Britt running back, is stationed in Afghanistan with the Army's 82nd Airborne division. And he couldn't help talking a little trash through the phone Wednesday as his son signed to play football for the Midshipmen.
"He said he hopes (Army) beats us, and I can't be in the house anymore since I'm a Navy man now," Johnson said. "He's just been talking a lot of junk."
Johnson was one of 41 Cape Fear region players who signed letters of intent to play college football on national signing day. He also was one of three Cumberland County players to sign at service academies. Teammate Greg Bryant Jr. will join him at Navy, while South View's Charles Tobin signed with Army.
All three players' families have ties to the military. Tobin's father is a command sergeant major stationed at Fort Bragg, and Bryant's grandfather received the Medal of Honor for his service in Vietnam. All of them understand that playing football at a service academy comes with a military career after graduation.
They also aren't very worried about going through their first preseason college practices. Two-a-days aren't as daunting as the boot camps and physical conditioning tests that await when they enroll this summer.
"Yeah, the swim part really got to me," Bryant said. "We have to swim for 35 to 45 minutes straight, so I need to start hitting the pool."
As for Tobin, a defensive end, he's looking forward to continuing the Britt-South View rivalry at the college level.
"Maybe that will make me want to get to the quarterback even more," he said.
Winston-Salem State hits region hard
Former Fayetteville State offensive coordinator Connell Maynor didn't forget where he came from now that he's Winston-Salem State's coach.
The Rams picked up seven players from the region: Hoke County wide receiver Eric Wolff, South View quarterback DeShean Townsend, Red Springs wide receiver Damontra Yates, and Lumberton is sending lineman Jermaine Kesler, linebacker Jalaquon McNeill, defensive back Larry Hearne Jr., and fullback Maurice Lewis.
Pirates coach Mike Brill said numerous schools pursued his players, but Maynor got them all after making a late recruiting visit. The first-year coach made such an impression that the Lumberton kids didn't wait long to make their decisions.
"They came back that night and said they wanted to go together," Brill said. "So that was kind of neat, and we talked about it today. Maynor is starting a new program just like I did three years ago, and they want to be a part of it."
Other region players decided they wanted to stay closer to home. Pinecrest lineman Blade Shoop made a commitment to play for Fayetteville State. Pine Forest wide receiver Te'Vell Williams, Jack Britt lineman Lee James and Westover defensive back Dwayne Williams committed to UNC-Pembroke. Trojans linebacker Joe Harris is going to Campbell along with Red Springs tackle Josh Jones.
Staff writer Paul Shugar can be reached at shugarp@fayobserver.com or 486-3513.