Jan Johnson, a former walk-on who won the starting middle linebacker job for the Nittany Lions over the summer, has received a football scholarship for his efforts.

Johnson is also a member of the powerhouse wrestling program at Penn State. The linebacker redshirted his freshman year and saw the field for the first time in 2016 against Michigan. After a string of injuries and ejections in that blowout loss, Johnson made his way into the mix at the Big House before suffering a season-ending ACL injury. 

The Mohnton, PA native appeared only occasionally in 2017 before taking on a starting role this season. Johnson has shown a lot of ability in the heart of the defense in stand-out performances against Appalachian State (when he recorded 11 tackles) and Ohio State.

Johnson is responsible for 34 total tackles and an interception thus far in 2018. Congrats, Jan!

About the Author

Derek Bannister

Derek is a senior majoring in Economics and History. He is legally required to tell you that he's from right outside of Philly. Email Derek compliments and dad-jokes at derekbannister@onwardstate.com.

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