DeKalb County’s new rushing king is state Player of the Week
Some pretty good running backs have come through DeKalb County. Among them are Kregg Lumpkin, Thomas Brown, Patrick Pass and Mike Davis, who all played in the NFL, and Roddy Jones, who starred at Chamblee and Georgia Tech after setting the county record for career rushing yards with 5,055.
Now, DeKalb has a new rushing king. Stephenson’s Jayden Johnson, a senior, rushed for a county-record 421 yards in a 38-35 victory over Greater Atlanta Christian last week and pushed his career yardage total to 5,076.
“From the time we met him as a seventh grader, we knew he was special,” Stephenson coach Marcus Jelks said. “Early on, he was a man of few words, chomping at the bit to get a chance.”
But Johnson played as a ninth grader behind another top back, Devin Ingram, now at Kennesaw State. Johnson has been Stephenson’s feature back ever since.
With 1,380 yards rushing in seven games this season, Johnson is on pace for his second straight 2,000-yard rushing season assuming Stephenson (6-1) makes the playoffs. Johnson, nicknamed J2, is committed to Middle Tennessee.
“His ability to make people miss in the hole as well as be physical when needed sets him apart,” Jelks said. “He has developed into a great leader and a coachable running back that has made the most of his opportunities. I look forward to seeing how he finishes the year and know he will do great things on the next level.”
Johnson is the AJC Varsity/GHSF Daily Player of the Week.