Name: Travis Johnson

Jesuit – WR/2013

Offers: Arkansas, Auburn, Ole Miss., Missouri, Oklahoma State, Purdue, LSU, Michigan State, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Miami, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Rutgers, South Florida, Tennessee, Texas Tech, Southern California, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Cincinnati, Kentucky, Florida Atlantic University, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Colorado State, Connecticut, Marshall, Mississippi State, Alabama Birmingham, Pittsburgh, Ohio, NC State

TAMPA – Behind him is a trail of hard work, dedication to what he loves most and memories that will forever last. In front, a bright budding future and the chance to shine as one of TampaBay’s top high school players… ever.

Jesuit junior Travis Johnson grew up with sports in his blood. Mainly a basketball player at an early age, Travis’s father William Johnson, noticed the physical play his son possessed on the hard wood and soon talked him into playing football.

Boy was it the best decision he ever made.

Travis soon saw the would-be fouls in basketball, were the name of the game in football and he instantly fell in love.

“My dad got me into it all,” Travis said. “(The game) helped me out a lot; it helped with my mindset and everything.

“He knew I was going to be a star.”

With the spotlight focused on him as one of the biggest players on the field during his time with the Tampa Bay Youth Football League’s Nuccio Jaguars, his dad branded him with one notion:

Never stop playing tough.

“I can’t just come in and expect to make a big impact (at the next level),” Travis said. “It’s all about making plays, and even if I wasn’t that big, I was going to play up to my top (potential).

As Johnson entered his freshman year with the Tigers, he didn’t expect much in the way of interest. Especially not from the bigger Division I programs.

But with a little help from coach James Harrell his sophomore year and Big County Preps, Travis went to the top of the collegiate food chain. Everyone was after him.

“(BCP) put me on their players to watch list at the end of my freshman year, going into my sophomore year,” Travis said. “It started getting me looks from everywhere.”

“When coach Harrell came in, he had lots of connections. He had like 80 schools on campus looking at everybody on the team.

“It all helped me out definitely.”

Since that off season nearly two years ago, the junior, who racked up 648 yards on 48 receptions, watched his stock slowly skyrocket and the interest turned to offers, which in turn became visits, meetings and handshakes with some of the biggest coaches in college football today.

 “It’s hard sometimes, you know? I’ll go to one place and fall in love with it and then the next one will be great too and I’ll fall in love with it. … There’s a lot of interest in me.”

 Travis said that when he chooses his school, which he has narrowed down to USC, ‘Ole Miss,MissouriandFloridaamong others, his focus will be all towards the education.

 “It’s all about getting the diploma,” Travis said. “I want to tray and make new friends and have a good social life, make the best grades possible and try and stay all four years.

 “Yeah, there may come a time along the way where money may be offered to me (in the NFL Draft) and if the family’s hurting that may influence some stuff because I need to help out my family, but for me it’s to get a diploma.”

 Travis added that even if he has the chance to excel as a starter with a Division I program, the notion that his father instilled in his mind will never leave him.

 “In college, there is no ‘hey coach I’m not feeling it today’, they’ll kick you out of your job,” Travis said. It’s going to be 10 times harder (than high school).

 “I have to show up and toughen up.”

 Travis’ teammate, Reggie Brown has also seen some interest spiked up in him over the last couple of months.

 Brown, who tallied 315 yards as a receiver last year is fielding interest from Florida International, Mississippi State, ‘Ole Miss and Florida Atlantic.

Follow Jeff Odom on Twitter, @JeffO_LutzNews for the latest prep sports news from Northwestern Hillsborough and Pasco County.