Jermaine Johnson returns to FSU, hosts youth camp with help from fellow 'Noles
Though he only played one season at Florida State, Jermaine Johnson has said numerous times that Tallahassee feels like home to him.
On Tuesday, the New York Jets defensive end came back “home” to host a youth football camp on the Florida State campus.
“I had so much fun,” Johnson told Warchant after the event. “I probably had more fun than the kids. It’s just good to come back and watch the smiles on everybody’s face, while they put a smile on mine.”
Johnson’s one year with the Seminoles was a great one. He went from being a part-time starter at Georgia in 2020 to earning ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors at FSU in 2021.
He also was named a first-team All-American and went on to become a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The one thing Johnson didn’t get to do much in Tallahassee was devote time to working with youth in the community. And he said that was the primary motivation for his camp on Tuesday.
“I was only here for about 11 months,” said Johnson, who earned a spot in the NFL’s Pro Bowl this past season. “So I didn’t feel like I gave back enough, or had enough time to give back as much as I wanted to. So this was a good opportunity for me to do so.”
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The campers got a special treat when they arrived Tuesday and were greeted by several special guests, including former Seminoles Jared Verse and Amari Gainer.
Verse, who was a first-round pick of the L.A. Rams earlier this year, said he had a flight booked to Tallahassee the day after Johnson asked him to participate.
“Everybody knows giving back to the community, that’s my whole deal, that’s what I love more than anything,” Verse said.
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The trip was easier for Gainer, a Tallahassee native who played his first five years at Florida State before transferring to North Carolina for his final season in 2023.
While the linebacker is preparing for his first preseason camp as a rookie with the Las Vegas Raiders, Gainer said he actually has been training at FSU under strength and conditioning coach Josh Storms. And once he heard about Johnson’s camp, he was thrilled to lend a hand for a fellow Seminole.
“No matter where you start or finish, if you were in the uniform and you bleed garnet and gold, you’re in the family,” Gainer said.
After posing for photos with the campers, Johnson said he remembers attending camps like the one he hosted Tuesday when he was an aspiring young football player. And he was thrilled to return the favor.
“I know how I viewed people in my position when I was younger,” Johnson said. “I couldn’t even imagine being anything close to [that level]. The fact that I am now, it’s only right that I give back and show them that, ‘Y’all aren’t as far from it as you think.’ So it’s important to me.”
Warchant director of digital media Aslan Hajivandi contributed to this report.
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