In a season that ended with being named Southeastern Conference offensive player of the year, an AP second team All-American and a member of the first team all-SEC, Kerryon Johnson can add one more to the list, as he is named the Plainsman Choice Male Athlete of the Year.
Johnson’s season started off bittersweet when he rushed for 136 yards in the first half against Georgia Southern, but a hamstring injury sidelined him until the matchup against Missouri.
The junior running back made up for lost time, rushing for 11 touchdowns in his first three games back, including a career-high 204-yards rushing with three touchdowns against Ole Miss. His play against Ole Miss would get Johnson named the Southeastern Conference Offensive Player of the Week.
Johnson would go on to continue his successful season and ultimately reach his peak during the annual matchup between rival Georgia, achieving 233 yards from scrimmage and a late-game touchdown to ice the 40-17 win. The performance also put Johnson over the 1,000-yard mark for the season.
Following the game, Johnson started to get real Heisman trophy buzz from around the nation, especially from head coach Gus Malzahn.
"He needs to be in the Heisman talk. I don't know if there's a better running back out there."
After the Georgia game, Auburn had to turn around and play another No. 1 team two weeks later against Alabama. Johnson led the way offensively for Auburn, scoring a touchdown on the ground and tossing one of his own on a jump pass to Nate Craig-Myers on their way to a 26-14 victory.
With the game in hand and Auburn trying to melt the clock, Johnson took his 30th and final carry of the game after a shoulder injury would make him collapse to the ground.
Johnson would battle through the injury to play in Auburn’s final two games and finish the season with 1,391 yards rushing in 12 games, leading the SEC in rushing (115.9 yards per game), total touchdowns (20) and all-purpose yards (132.1 yards per game). He would finish ninth in voting for the Heisman trophy and a semifinalist for Doak Walker Award.
After his best season on The Plains, Johnson declared for the 2018 NFL Draft and received a invitation to the NFL Combine. Johnson would perform well at the combine and now he is a projected late first to third round pick in the upcoming draft on April 26-28.
Honorable mentions:
- Jarrett Stidham (Football)
- Casey Mize (Baseball)
- Jared Harper (Men's basketball)
- Bryce Brown (Men's basketball)
- Mustapha Heron (Men's basketball)
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