OCHS senior Jordan Johnson prepares to take off at a track meet. Johnson runs in the 100 meter dash, the 200 meter dash, and legs of the 4x100 and 4x200 relays. (Submitted photo)
Oglethorpe County High School senior Jordan Johnson isn’t just a standout athlete, he’s a tone-setter.
Whether it’s on the football field, basketball court, or track, Johnson, who teammates call “Joe,” has built a name for himself as a competitor and someone younger athletes gravitate toward.
“I feel like me being the leader from football and basketball — I've been leading both of those sports — helped me out with being a leader at track,” he said. “It's giving me a good mental space, letting me be able to push through.”
Johnson specializes in the 100 meter dash, the 200 meter dash, and runs legs of the 4x100 and 4x200 relays.
He’s already posted personal records this season in those events, and he’s got clear goals for the remainder: qualify for sectionals in the 100 and win the region in the 200.
“I feel like we’re gonna shock people at region,” Johnson said. “I feel like we're on a good page right now.”
And if you ask his coach, it’s not just the numbers that stand out.
”If I have a lot of guys coming up to me asking a certain question, Jordan can know the answer,” OCHS head track coach Maurice Freeman said. “Jordan is one of those guys just vocally (leading) and leading by example as well.”
Johnson’s leadership didn’t appear overnight. It’s been built across three sports and years of hard work, with football standing out as his top priority.
“That’s the sport I’m best at,” Johnson said. “But, I use track to help me stay in shape and be quicker for football. And basketball helps with that, too. They all kind of feed into each other.”
This balance he’s found between sports has helped sharpen both his mental and physical game.
“I can push the younger guys, and they can just have that built into their head … after I graduate,” he said. “They still want to push and work hard and to keep going.”
That mentorship especially shines through in his relationships with teammates like Paris and PD, underclassmen Johnson said he enjoys helping and pushing in practice.
Freeman sees his leadership in action, too.
“Jordan brings a team atmosphere with him to track and field. I feel like they (Johnson and Keyvon Gresham) understand the team aspect.,” Freeman said. “It's individualized, right, at some point. I feel like they bring that togetherness, you know, aspect.”
While Johnson is still deciding on where he’ll take his talents after graduation, he’s certain of one thing: football will be a part of it, and possibly track, too.
“I want to play football in college, but I possibly will do track,” Johnson said. “I’ve still got offers coming in.”
Johnson currently has offers at Berry College, University of Virginia-Lynchburg, St. Joseph University, College of Redwoods, Massachusetts Maritime, Culver Stockton College and Minnesota North College Vermilion.
As the OCHS track team gears up for region and hopes to send several athletes to sectionals and beyond, Johnson’s leadership has become a stabilizing force for the group.
“I don’t know what Joe’s been on,” Freeman likes to joke, “but the rest of y’all need to get on it.”