Norfolk, Va. - Norfolk State University football coach Latrell Scott announced Friday the addition of Old Dominion University transfer running back Gerard Johnson. That's according to the NSU website.
Johnson has enrolled at NSU for the spring semester and will participate in winter conditioning drills and spring practice with the Spartans. He has two years of eligibility remaining beginning this fall, officials say.
“We are very excited to have Gerard join our program,” Scott said. “He is an outstanding young man and we look forward to him contributing to our team immediately.”
The 5-9, 195-pound Johnson was ODU’s No. 2 rusher as a sophomore this past fall, running for 493 yards and one touchdown on 100 carries. He also caught 24 passes for 149 yards while playing in 11 games, seven of which he started. Johnson ran for 137 yards and one TD against Hampton to open the season. He also tallied 85 rushing yards against Eastern Michigan, 76 against Conference USA champion Marshall and 60 at North Carolina State.
In two years at ODU, Johnson rushed for 865 yards and six touchdowns and amassed 1,135 all-purpose yards, NewsChannel 3 has confirmed. He recorded three 100-yard games as a Monarch, the first of which was a 17-carry, 101-yard effort against Norfolk State in 2013. He also ran for a career-high 143 yards at North Carolina to cap his freshman season.
Johnson, a native of Richmond, Va., was rated a two-star recruit by ESPN.com coming out of Meadowbrook High School. He played quarterback for Meadowbrook, where he passed for 1,592 yards and 27 touchdowns and ran for another 1,204 yards as a senior. He was a two-time first-team All-Metro pick and was Central District Offensive Player of the Year as a senior. Johnson was also an academic all-district and all-region selection.
