Asa Johnson, whose father played basketball, gets assist from dad in picking NIU football. ‘Work even harder.’
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Football is king for Aurora Christian’s Asa Johnson, with basketball a close second.
The 6-foot-4, 210-pound senior quarterback plays forward for the Eagles in in the winter.
Basketball topped the list for his dad, Matthew, in his playing days.
“He’s a big dude, 6-8,” Asa said. “He was a shooter.”
That may be true, but father Matthew apparently has some point guard skills, too. He picked up a huge assist in helping his youngest son take the next step in pursuit of his athletic dream.
Last week, Asa verbally committed to an offer from Northern Illinois football coach Thomas Hammock, then took to the field several days later and led Aurora Christian to a 37-12 win over Erie in the first round the Class 2A playoffs.
“That really happened fast,” Aurora Christian coach David Beebe said. “Thomas came out to our Wednesday practice to watch Asa with a member of his staff. I figured that was a good sign, and they turned it around in a couple days.”
Johnson made a game-day visit for NIU’s win over Ball State and sat down with Hammock afterward.
“They were ready to offer him that day,” Beebe said. “I’m so thrilled for that kid.”
The process had actually started a year earlier during Johnson’s junior season when his dad reached out to the NIU staff as his son was passing for 2,322 yards and 24 touchdowns in leading the Eagles to the Class 1A playoffs.
“He left a simple voicemail saying, ‘My son’s a true quarterback,’ then sent an email with video asking them to watch my film,” Asa said.
Apparently they did, although there was no contact from the Huskies until the recent flurry.
With this year’s regular season nearly complete, Johnson was sitting on two offers from NCAA Division II schools. He had some interest but no offers yet from Football Championship Subdivision schools.
Then came the offer from NIU, a Football Bowl Subdivision school which will be moving next season from the Mid-American to the Mountain West Conference.
“I was obviously nervous at that practice,” Asa said. “I knew the night before they were coming because they had texted coach Dave.”
The team went through several new plays and other drills.
“We were slinging it all over the place and I think they really liked that,” Johnson said.
With his continued growth and development, Johnson has even run the ball more this season.
“Coach Hammock said he thought highly of me and liked the way I played,” Johnson said. “Instead of going out of bounds, I’ve been lowering my shoulder to get extra yards and he said that meant a lot to him. I’m not one to shy away from contact.”
He also might not be done growing. His dad and his older brother, Jackson, both grew two inches in college.
Asa started out in football as an offensive lineman, playing in junior high when the family lived in Sycamore before moves to Hinckley and their current home in North Aurora.
Matthew Johnson and his wife, Rachel, also have six daughters.
Going to NIU will be like going home.
“I have a lot of friends there and love the area,” Asa said. “My brother played at Sycamore and they always played the rivalry game against DeKalb at NIU, so I know it.”
His brother, a 6-5, 230-pound tight end, played in college at both Olivet Nazarene and Aurora University.
Asa Johnson and Aurora Christian (8-2) have a second-round playoff game at 3 p.m. Saturday at undefeated Farmington (10-0), which is located west of Peoria.
He will be the third Aurora Christian quarterback in 10 years to choose NIU, joining Anthony Maddie (2014, 2016) and Ethan Hampton (2021-24).
“It means a lot,” Johnson said. “I need to be even more accountable and work my butt off. That offer doesn’t mean I can finally lay back. I have to work even harder.”
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