The idea about playing university football came to 19-year-old Trent Johnson when he was in the ninth grade.
“All the teachers were telling us we had to get our lives planned out to determine what courses we would need to take in high school so you can get into the university you want,” says Johnson.
“I talked to my parents about it and they said, ‘just choose a direction and go that way. God will steer you the rest of the way but he won’t steer a parked car.’ I liked football. I was really good at it. You only can play football for a limited time. So I said, “Okay God, I am going to follow football as long as you let me.”
He had a passion for the game since he first joined football in St. Paul in Grade 6 as a lineman. While Trent did possess talent and size, St. Paul Lions coach Todd Tanasichuk says it was his work ethic that ultimately helped him land a spot on the University of Alberta Golden Bears football team.
“He came to me in Grade 10 and asked about what he needed to do to play after high school,” says Tanasichuk. “I outlined it for him thinking, at the time, ‘well he’s probably not going to be willing to do all these things.’
“I told him he would need to be a good student and work out a lot. Trent took that advice and ran with it. He did great in the classroom and the weight room and went to a lot of football camps.”
Trent ended up graduating with honours and he flourished as a leader for the St. Paul Lions in his last years of high school by leading his team to Wheatland Football League championship in 2012 and 2013.
Perhaps expectedly, Johnson did not play any league games for the Golden Bears this past season, as it is tough to break into the league as a lineman and a first year student. He spent the season redshirting for the U of A team.
A redshirt player takes part in all workouts and practices four days as week. Having the designation of a redshirt player allows your freshman season to not count against your five years of eligibility in playing in regular season and playoff games.
It is indeed a good sign that after his time as a redshirt player, Johnson has a chance to come back to try out for the team this upcoming summer.
Just like Tanasichuk, Golden Bears head coach Chris Morris recognizes potential in Johnson. And just like Tanasichuk, Morris is preaching that if Johnson continues to put in good work and good things can happen.
“For him has to develop and to keep working at the things he has been working at because he has been doing a good job with that,” says Morris. “He is very coachable and he works hard. That work ethic goes a long way.
While trying to move into a roster spot for the Bears, Johnson is also working on making a transition in his academic discipline at the university. After completing a year in the Native studies, Johnson has decided to enroll in the forestry program.
“It is an area I am interested in and apparently there is a good job market in forestry.”
As much as his abilities in football has helped guide Johnson to this point he stresses that it is important that students take their studies seriously in order to create the best possible future for themselves.
