Emmett Johnson knew his offensive linemen deserved the spotlight. So before UCLA played a run to the goal line, the Nebraska running back instructed his big men to pave the way for him to get into the end zone if he scores.
“Let’s hit it in the end zone,” he told them.
“This,” of course, was Heisman currency.
“Nebraska football needs more love,” Johnson told CBS Sports. “I feel like I’ve been disrespected on some platforms, but honestly, it just comes from believing in my teammates. The reason I’m able to do this is because of them. That’s why I did it out there with my whole team.”
Johnson is nowhere near the top of today’s Heisman rankings, but he could be at the top this time next year. That’s quite a raise for a former three-star prospect whose only scholarship offer from a power conference was from Nebraska.
It’s hard to find a more indispensable player than this. Johnson accounted for 37.9% of Nebraska’s total yardage – the highest share of any player in college football. He has gained 1,582 yards from scrimmage, the second-most nationally, and his 1,234 rushing yards at 112.2 yards per game are No. 4 in the Big Ten and the nation.
“I personally believe that Emmett Johnson should be in New York. I think he should be a Heisman candidate,” Huskers coach Matt Rhule said after his breakout performance against UCLA. “I think he should be a Doc Walker finalist, if not a winner. What he’s doing is amazing. I hope people will appreciate it when they see him. He’s a first-team All-American.”
He is the only FBS player with 1,200 rushing yards and 300 receiving yards.
UCLA interim coach Tim Skipper said after the game, “Most of our game plan was to stop the 21…” “I think he’s a very special talent. Nationally, they should talk about him more.”
If Nebraska (7-4) had picked up a few more wins, the compact, punishing runner might already be in the Heisman race. But being underestimated is nothing new.
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Childhood built on proving people wrong
Johnson grew up in Minnesota, where his senior season at Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield turned into a weekly reminder of his competitive streak. Ahead of the highly publicized clash with St Thomas, local media compared him to rival star Camden Royal. This caused panic. He called his brother Charles Jr. repeatedly the night before the game.
Charles Johnson Jr. recalled saying, “Man, tomorrow, I’m going for 10 touchdowns.” “And that’s what he meant.”
He didn’t hit 10, but he did score six – five on the field as well as an 85-yard kickoff return.
“Every time he scored a goal he looked at us like, ‘I told you guys, I’m going to destroy these guys,'” Charles said. “He’s a really good guy, but he has a competitive ability that if you push him to the limit, he’ll respond in a way that’s more of a 180 (degrees) than he is on the football field. If you put pads on him, he transforms into someone else.”
In fact, Johnson was a terror to opposing defenses. Johnson rushed for 2,484 yards and totaled 42 touchdowns in 2021 while playing multiple defensive positions and accumulating 71 tackles, 10 TFL and two interceptions. He became Minnesota’s Mr. Football without being treated like a rising star.
“He was my wildest kid at home,” said family patriarch Precious Johnson. “He didn’t walk down the stairs, he slid down the stairs. He’s the toughest, most fearless of the three. He’s also the quietest kid, like his dad.”
Precious and Charles Johnson Sr. are immigrants from Liberia, but they did not know each other in Liberia. Both fled the country during the brutal First Liberian Civil War in the early 1990s.
“When it came to war, we ran away. We didn’t know where we were going,” Precious said. “There were children on the street, no food, no anything, just running for their lives. They’re bombing houses. You never knew where to go or where to be safe. You just kept going.”
Precious Johnson escaped Monrovia, Liberia and boarded a ship bound for Ghana. She arrived in Minnesota on April 7, 1993. A few years later, he met Charles Johnson Sr. in a church choir. She sang soprano; He was a tenant. They were friends first, then started dating. Soon, they got married and raised a family. He still works and supports his family. Dad works in a retirement home, and Precious is a nurse in the emergency room at Fairview Hospital in Minneapolis.
As the Johnson brothers grew up, their parents took the family to Liberia and shared stories about the struggles they faced during the war.
Exactly a decade ago, bombs were falling from the sky. Food was scarce. Children were hungry on the streets. About 200,000 people died.
“You never knew where to go or where to be safe. You just kept going,” Precious said.
“He experienced crazy trauma,” Emmett said. “I’m lucky that they were able to reunite here, because obviously, if they weren’t here I wouldn’t be here. I want to retire my mom from work and tell her she’ll never have to work again, so she can live a normal life.”
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they call it e-money
Teammates call him “E-Money,” a nickname Nebraska extended with a playful “HEJ$SMAN” campaign earlier this month. And he has earned it. Nebraska’s offense has been poor all year – especially after superstar quarterback Dylan Raiola suffered a season-ending injury on November 1 – yet Johnson has been a steady force.
“The kid gets stronger every quarter and every series,” offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen said. “He’s turned himself into a complete back who can really handle 90% of the snaps and that workload. There’s a lot to it in kids with confidence.”
Holgorsen’s air raid roots led many to believe that the Huskers would switch to a pass-first, high-flying offense when they arrived in Lincoln at the end of last season. But they regained control of their offense during the season as Raiola continued to take penalties and the offensive line struggled to protect the quarterback.
“Turns out I just drive the ball now,” Holgorsen laughed.
Nebraska can be grateful. Johnson briefly entered the transfer portal last December, leading to a candid conversation with Holgorsen, who had just committed to staying.
“Look, man, I’ve committed to signing here for the next few years. I need you so bad,” Holgorsen said. “I think you’re one of the people who can change this place.
“We both committed to it, went to the bowl game and won. Everything got better for him. We started feeding him. It’s a whole different Emmett this year.”
Johnson enters the Huskers’ season finale against Iowa (12 p.m. ET Friday, CBS, Paramount + Premium) as the first Husker with four consecutive 100-yard performances since 2013.
“I’ve been ignored my whole life,” Emmett said. “I use it as fuel every day in practice. I remember how it felt when I wasn’t getting any offers. I remember how it felt to be talked down to and ignored at the camps I attended over the summer. Those things are on my mind when I’m out playing. It pushes me to work harder. That’s what’s helped me get to this point, and that’s what keeps me going.” Will help.”
For the Heisman Trophy?
He said he “100%” believes he should be a finalist. What Johnson’s future holds after this season could define whether or not Nebraska is a Big Ten contender in 2026.
“Obviously, he’ll be a preseason All-American, Heisman Trophy, he’ll be on all the watch lists,” Rhule said. “I’m not so sure he shouldn’t play in the NFL, OK? I think he’s going to be a great professional player.”
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