COLUMBIA \u2013 All Denzel Johnson needed was the test score and grades.
\nClemson head coach Dabo Swinney told the three-star athlete that he had to qualify for the fall semester before signing with Clemson\u2019s 2015 class.
\nNo pressure, right?
\n\u201cIt was natural. It wasn\u2019t really a lot of pressure. I knew what I had to do and I knew if I got in the mindset, I could do it. All I had to do was just work hard for it. That\u2019s all I did,\u201d Johnson told TheClemsonInsider, after signing with Clemson on Wednesday morning at AC Flora High School.
\nJohnson admitted that he put himself behind the 8-ball early on in his high school career.
\n\u201cI was mad at myself,\u201d he said.
\nBut thanks to the support from his family and coaches, Johnson pulled through with the qualifying numbers.
\n\u201cIt means a lot. It\u2019s a big relief for me that I finally got to sign and put the hat on,\u201d he said.
\nAt Clemson, Johnson could play wide receiver, cornerback or kick returner. The staff hasn\u2019t made a decision on the position.
\nWherever he plays, Johnson thinks he\u2019ll fit right in with the program.
\n\u201cWhen I went up on the visit, everything just felt like home,\u201d he said. \u201cThe coaches, they were all family-oriented. The players, they were the same.\u201d
\nAC Flora head coach Reggie Shaw credited Johnson for the perseverance he showed over the last several months.
\n\u201cHe worked so hard, had a lot of obstacles in place, but it\u2019s a great moment here,\u201d Shaw said. \u201cNever give up. Never give up hope. It takes a lot of people along the way, but if you continue to work hard, you can make things happen for you.
\n\u201cI think the best has yet to come.<\/p>\n