DETROIT – A senior football player at Eastern Michigan University was surprised with a full scholarship during the team's trip to the Lions game at Ford Field.
As a treat for the Eastern Michigan football team, the players and coaches took a day off from camp to make a trip to the Lions game, but there was also something else.
"Two minutes into the second quarter, it’s go time," coach Chris Creighton said. "I wanted to make sure of what I was going to say."
"Out of nowhere, coach calls out a seat number and I was so nonchalant about it," Jaron Johnson said. "I didn't even know what seat I was in. My buddy had to say, 'Hey, that’s you!'"
Johnson had no idea what was about to happen.
"I want to offer a full-ride scholarship to senior wide receiver Jaron Johnson," Creighton said as he and the team were showcased on the big screens at Ford Field.
Johnson was given a full ride to Eastern Michigan University. It was an incredible moment for a man who came to the school from California on his own dime last year, joined the team as a preferred walk-on and did most of his work on special teams.
"It was pretty hard to hear inside Ford Field, but my dad saw the link online," Johnson said. "My mom cried. My grandma and grandpa cried. My whole family is so proud."
Why did Creighton pick Johnson for the scholarship?
"He is quiet and doesn’t call attention to himself," Creighton said. "He always wants to do the right thing and he works so hard at it."
Johnson has impressed coaches and teammates at camp and plans to make the jump to wide receiver this season, but he knows this is bigger than football.
"It’s about an education, as well," he said.
The 22-year-old said his story got a lot of play on social media, and he’d like to back it up on the field. Creighton would like that as well.