Things haven’t been entirely easy for Shane Johnson throughout his high school football career, but he sure made it look that way.
He had a phenomenal sophomore season at quarterback for the West Windsor-Plainsboro co-op football team, but when the district shut down athletics last year due to COVID 19 he transferred from WW-P North to Notre Dame to continue being able to play football and lacrosse.
Johnson shared time with freshman A.J. Surace, who has emerged as one of Mercer’s top quarterbacks, and also enjoyed playing at various other spots on the field. When WW-P reinstated athletics, Shane went home to play with his lifelong friends as a senior.
It was a lot to adapt to from one year to the next, and through it all, Johnson’s performance on the field and in the classroom never faltered.
It’s for that reason that Shane is the West Windsor-Plainsboro honoree at this year’s 60th Annual George Wah Scholar-Leader-Athlete Dinner, sponsored by the Delaware Valley Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame. The banquet is at the Princeton Marriott March 13. Tickets are available until March 5 by calling Ron at 609-731-6610.
Johnson will receive a $1,000 scholarship and is also eligible for three other scholarships worth up to $5,000 that will be announced the night of the dinner.
“It’s a great honor,” Shane said. “Looking at the past winners of the award, there are some very well respected names on that list, and I’m just happy to be in the same company as guys like that.”
As a WW-P sophomore, Johnson utilized some dynamic receivers to throw for 1,953 yards and 26 touchdowns. At Notre Dame, he completed 34 passes for 532 yards and six touchdowns and also caught five passes for 76 yards.
Upon returning this year, Shane 1173 yards and nine touchdowns and ran for 583 yards and six TDs. Defensively, he led WW-P in tackles with 61, had a fumble recovery and returned an interception for a touchdown.
“Shane was our top performer on both offense and defense,” said coach Bill Furlong, who feels Johnson is the best leader he has ever coached. “He was like having a coach on the field for the other players. Shane not only knew his assignment, but was often helping his teammates because he had a way of seeing the big picture and understanding the concept of ‘team.’ He knew everybody’s job and was an excellent communicator.”
Along with being an excellent listener.
“He was very coachable,” Furlong said. “He would ask questions if there was anything that was unclear and once he was told what to do, his job was done.”
While jumping back and forth from schools and excelling on the gridiron, Johnson maintained his academic excellence without missing a beat. In his three years at WWPN Shane has a weighted GPA of 4.5, and in his year at Notre Dame his GPA was 96.4 out of 100.
Johnson knew how to make the best out of his brief sojourn to ND.
“It definitely wasn’t easy going to a new school as a junior, but it ended up being a great experience,” he said. “It was awesome meeting some of my best friends at Notre Dame, and we still hang out all the time even though I’m back at West Windsor.
“Academically, it was a more difficult adjustment due to the COVID measures in place, making the classroom a much less engaging environment. However, I did get to know some awesome teachers, and I had a positive experience academically.”
It’s about more than just good grades for Johnson. He has volunteered as a Pop Warner football coach. He joined Notre Dame’s Catholic Athletes for Christ organization and collected for Toys for Tots while making meals for the needy. He also volunteered for Take Two at ND and was selected to lead tours for incoming transfer students and parents. At WW-PN he is part of the National Merit Scholarship Program as a Commended Student.
He displays the same qualities in an academic setting as he does on the gridiron.
“Shane is ambitious and conscientious,” North math teacher Ardie Allen said. “He is also a person that will give of his time to help others in class with difficult topics or concepts. Shane is able to learn these concepts, communicate his understanding, and apply them in appropriate situations. He has easily become a leader in my classroom.”
Johnson does so leading by example, as he is able to handle a huge amount of responsibilities from all different areas without ever looking for excuses not to get things done.
“Shane is a complete student with a wonderful personality,” Allen said. “His performance in the classroom is even more impressive when you realize the amount of time he spent being a leader on the football fields or our district. Even though the demands of the football season can take their toll physically and mentally, Shane never complained or made excuses. He has an understated self-confidence but he never displays arrogance.”
As to the secret of balancing the classroom with the athletic field, Johnson credits his family for learning how to budget his time.
“My parents played a huge role in making me into the best student I could be,” he said. “They always drilled into me that school comes before sports.
“On top of that, my older brother Luke has always been a huge influence on me, pushing me to my limits on the field and in the classroom. Luke’s unmatched toughness, leadership, and work ethic have shaped me into a better version of myself.”
And while Johnson has mastered it all in high school, he realizes things only get more daunting next year.
“It’s definitely going to be a challenge to refine my time management skills between a college academic workload and college football,” he said. “I’m headed to Vermont to play football at Middlebury. The school is a great fit academically and athletically, and I can’t wait to get to work.”
Furlong feels if Johnson continues to do what he did in high school, he will be just fine.
“Shane has the same work ethic in the classroom that he has on the athletic field,” the coach said. “He is always giving his best effort and looking for ways to challenge and improve himself. As a two-sport athlete, it can be challenging to meet the demands of the classroom in a consistent way, but Shane has done it for four years.”
And he will be rightfully awarded for it this month.
High School North senior Shane Johnson is the West Windsor-Plainsboro honoree at this year’s 60th Annual George Wah Scholar-Leader-Athlete Dinner.// <
