Player Spotlight: Blaise Johnson

Who is recruiting this Corona athlete?

Possibly one of the most dangerous weapons in the state this year was Corona standout Blaise Johnson. He did just about everything besides kick this year for the Aztecs. His accolades include Central Region Player of the Year, 1^st Team All 5A at DB by the AZFCA and 2^nd Team All 5A at DB by the Republic.

24-7: You had a great season, what were your final stats?

Blaise: I had 890 yards rushing with 14 touchdowns, 750 yards passing with 10 TDs, 6 receptions for 155 yards 2 TDs and 400 return yards 1 TD.

24-7: What schools are currently recruiting you?

Blaise: Stanford, UNLV, Nevada, BYU, Air Force, Colorado State, Northeastern, Minnesota State, Dartmouth and Columbia.

24-7: What schools have made offers and what trips have you set up?

Blaise: I have trips set up for Air Force, Nevada, BYU and UNLV.

24-7: What advice would you give to a junior regarding the recruiting process?

Blaise: I would tell the juniors to get exposure by attending as many camps as you can. Don’t always wait for the schools to come to them. It is very easy for a college to overlook athletes given that there are so many. My advice is to make a list of your top 10-20 schools and start sending your tapes/information out as soon as you can.

24-7: Who are some juniors from Corona that people should watch out for?

Blaise: Andy Stitt (LB/RB), Mitchel Hunt (DL/OL), Robert Hollbrook (DL/OL), Casey Schriner (WR/DB) and Matt Mosely (WR/DB). Also Sophomores Blaine Irby (DB/LB/WR) and Justin Salum (RB/LB), who will be the workhorse the next 2 years.

24-7: Who was the best player you faced this year?

Blaise: Shaun Fitzpatrick from (TE/DE) Highland (NAU commit). He is a great player on both sides of the ball.

24-7: What position do you think you will play in college?

Blaise: I am being recruited as a quarterback by Air Force and Northeastern and as a defensive back by everyone else.

24-7: What are your best lifts in the bench, clean, squat and 40 time?

Blaise: Bench 355lbs, clean 305lbs, squat 400lbs, and 4.45 - 40

24-7: Who or what drives you?

Blaise: I grew up in a very competitive family; my brother is only 2 years older than me, so we compete with everything. All my life I have been told to try to be the best in everything I do. I think I just have a natural craving to be the best, and I know that only hard work will get me to where I want to be.

24-7: What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?

Blaise: When I was young I told my father I wanted to be a professional athlete. He told me about the work ethics of some of the greats such as Walter Payton, Jerry Rice, or Michael Jordan. It was then I learned that the person who is willing to work the hardest, in the long run, will always succeed.

24-7: Does your 1^st name have a meaning behind it?

Blaise: I think that when my parents originally named me Blaise they did not plan for it to have a special meaning, little did they realize it could have been one of the most influential aspects of my life. All my life I have been told that I need to be famous when I grow up so that my name does not go to waste. So that has helped drive me to always try to excel. Also I cannot have the name Blaise and be slow, so that prompted me to workout with a speed trainer for many years!

24-7: What school would you commit to right now if they made an offer?

Blaise: I cannot say for sure that there is a school that would make me commit right away. But Stanford University has always been a dream of mine since I was young, and is one of the schools that I would really like to have an offer from.

24-7: Name the high and low point of Corona’s football season.

Blaise: A lot of people do not know that Corona almost hit rock bottom after our 3^rd game of the season. A two-way starter was suspended from the team for 2 games (he never returned), and other members of the team were upset by this, so they volunteered to sit out with him. Our team was in jeopardy of losing the whole season, but we regrouped and after that our team morale had never been higher, we went on to win 8 games in a row including beating Desert Vista for the first time ever and winning a region championship.

24-7 would like to thank Blaise for his time and wish him luck in the recruiting process.