Travis Johnson wanted a challenge. It’s why he left his hometown of Sherman Oaks, Calif, 18 years ago, turned down offers from nearby USC and UCLA, flew clear across the country and landed in Tallahassee, Fla.
“I always wanted to leave home,” recalled Johnson, who was one of the nation’s top prospects when he signed with Florida State in 2000. “If I didn’t go to Florida State, it would have been Michigan. I wanted to go and become a better man. I didn’t want to be able to run home every time I needed something. I wanted to learn how to do my own laundry. To know what it’s like to have 25 days left in the month and only have $100 in the bank.
“If I had gone to USC or UCLA, I would have gone home every weekend. I wouldn’t have become the man I am today. It made me a better man, a better husband, a better father.”
This is the message Johnson has shared for years with California prospects who have considered following in his footsteps and signing with FSU.
It’s what he told All-America tailback Lorenzo Booker when Booker was choosing between FSU and Notre Dame in 2002. It’s the message he shared with some of the West Coast prospects who considered signing with FSU as members of Willie Taggart’s first class.
In the end, Taggart signed three of them. There’s 5-star defensive back Jaiden Woodbey of Bellflower, Calif; 4-star tight end Camren McDonald of Long Beach, Calif; and 4-star receiver Tre’Shaun Harrison of Seattle.
They call themselves, “Westside ‘Noles.”
Johnson, a standout defensive tackle who played most of his six-year NFL career with the Houston Texans and now calls Houston home, was thrilled to see Taggart capitalize on his time out west and mine some new recruiting territory. At the same time, he knows first-hand that Woodbey, Harrison and McDonald will encounter some challenges in their new home.
Not only will there be a “culture shock” with the move, Johnson said, but the West Coast transplants also will have to prove themselves on the field to their new teammates from the Southeast and East Coast.
“Football is football, but there’s a stigma about California guys that we’re not tough,” Johnson said. “So when they get there, they’ve got to establish, ‘Hey, I’m no pushover. I’m just as tough as anybody else out here.’”
Johnson remembers players testing him and even calling him names to get under his skin.
Things boiled over during his first preseason camp when offensive lineman Todd Williams shoved him after a play during pass-rush drills.
“I shoved him back. I was ready to fight,” Johnson said. “I needed to let them know, ‘I ain’t soft.’”
The only problem was Williams was one of the few guys on the team that nobody messed with. He came from the toughest of upbringings in Bradenton, Fla.; both of his parents died when he was young; and he was actually homeless for part of his childhood.
