Barton College head football coach Chip Hester credits his defensive coordinator, Treiston Burnette, for being the one to steer him toward Kameron Johnson, who is on the cusp of being the first Bulldog alum to play in the NFL.
“He told me I needed to make a trip to see a couple of guys from the Rocky Mount area,” Hester told North Carolina Football News this week. “On that trip I watched Kam and Jaquan Lynch — our starting quarterback for three years — and was impressed by both.
“Kam was probably a 5-6, 140 to 145 pound quarterback for Northern Nash. I saw a hard-working competitor with speed. We projected him as a corner or wide receiver. After talking with his high school coach about the kind of young man he is, we were sold he could help us. We were especially looking for the right character to build our program.”
Johnson certainly delivered on what Burnette, now also Barton’s senior associate head coach, first saw during those recruiting trips. And now, the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers are trying to decide if Johnson can help them in a similar fashion with the 2024 season on deck. He’s pushing hard for a spot on Tampa’s final 53-man roster.
Defying plenty of odds, Johnson has had a whirlwind few months to even get to this point.
He competed in a pro day at NC State in the early spring. He didn’t hear his name during the draft in April but quickly signed an undrafted free agent deal with Tampa Bay for $10,000. Since then, he’s managed to stick with the NFC South franchise — and has generated plenty of buzz as a possible D2-to-the-NFL feel-good story.
Tampa quarterback Baker Mayfield, formerly a Carolina Panther, recently referred to the 22-year-old Johnson as a “stud” after a joint practice with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“I didn’t even know where Barton College was until a few weeks ago, but whatever they fed him, it worked,” Mayfield told Buccaneers.com. “The kid, he’s a polished receiver. He doesn’t say much, locks in and just does everything the right way … He’s extremely smooth in his routes and explosive. I think he can do a lot of things for us. He’s another good guy in our room who’s going to push everybody else to continue to raise that standard in the receiver room.”
‘Kam loves football’
Hester is well-versed in that explosiveness and smooth route-running. Johnson made 151 catches in a Barton uniform from 2021-23, covering 2,316 yards and resulting in 19 touchdowns. He earned all-South Atlantic Conference first-team honors twice. Barton enjoyed two winning seasons as it resurrected the program after a seven-decade absence.
“The thing that made him into a true pro prospect was his desire to improve, his competitiveness and his work ethic,” Hester said. “Kam loves football! He watches tape like a madman and wants to be coached.”
Johnson grew up and bulked up while on the Wilson campus. The Bucs list him at 5-10, 170. Hester said he watched Johnson push 225 pounds on the bench press 21 times.
“I’ve heard outlets say he runs 4.4 and verticals 37 inches, but I have seen him run 4.3 on a laser time and vertical 42 inches,” Hester said. “I’ve been lucky enough to coach several guys who have played in the NFL from previous places including NC A&T, and I can tell you he’s got what it takes. I told the scouts that came through that he will earn the respect of his coaches and teammates.”
Bucs want to see Kameron Johnson ‘under the lights’
Tampa head coach Todd Bowles called Johnson a “heck of a receiver” earlier this week in a story published by the Tampa Bay Times. His initial playing time Friday could come on special teams.
“He’s got good return skills,” Bowles said. “I’d like to see him under the lights a little bit and see him play, but he’s very athletic.”
Johnson told the Tampa Bay Times that his leaping ability often surprises teammates and opposing players.
“A lot of people don’t think I can dunk, but I actually do windmills and stuff like that,” Johnson told the Times. “It catches people off guard. Even when I was at Barton, my coach always said I play bigger than I am. They always enjoy seeing it, and they say, ‘How tall are you?’ They ask me that every time.”
Three receiver spots appear to be filled on the Bucs’ roster as preseason camp draws to a close — taken by Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and rookie Jalen McMillan. Johnson is contending with Trey Palmer, Rakim Jarrett, Sterling Shepard and Cody Thompson for either two or three remaining receiver positions, per the Tampa Bay Times.
Johnson seems to have Godwin’s endorsement.
“You can tell immediately when you watch him that he’s a baller,” Godwin said during practice availability this week. “With receivers, one of the things that I look for the most is their eye discipline when it comes to catching the ball, and if you watch him his eyes are always on the ball. His tracking of the ball in traffic, he makes tough catches like in contact. He makes good catches out in the open space. He runs really good routes. He’s a strong guy, smart kid. I like him. He’s a really good player.”
For Johnson’s growing fan base in his home state, the Miami at Tampa Bay game is set to start at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Raymond James Stadium. Alas, TV coverage for those not in select Florida markets can only be accessed through NFL+. The official Web site for the team, Buccaneers.com, will keep an official game blog starting at kickoff.
Should Tampa choose not to retain Johnson, Hester believes he’ll land on another roster quickly. The Jets, Saints and Texans reportedly showed interest back in the spring when undrafted players were signing free agent deals.
“I know there are a lot of things that go into making a roster, but I think he is going to be on a roster this fall for an NFL team,” Hester said. “I’ve heard from several folks in the league that have taken notice of what he is doing. It has been fun to watch other folks find out about Kam. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for him.”
Johnson isn’t the only Barton football alum trying to make it in professional football. Former running back Jordan Terrell (5,487 career rushing yards, 44 touchdowns) signed with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League in May after a short stint in an NFL camp.
Terrell was transferred to the Lions’ practice squad in June but still looks to be in BC’s plans going forward.
“I’ve heard that they really like him there,” Hester said. “I’ve also heard he is just getting bigger and faster. Another special young man that helped lay such a good foundation for our program here.”
As for Hester, he’s hard at working prepping for the next stage of Barton football — one without cornerstones like Johnson, Terrell, Lynch and all-conference linebacker Shane Perry (now at ECU). But the coach knows those players have laid the groundwork for future success.
Johnson’s story may yet attract other players of his caliber and potential to consider playing at the Wilson school and at the D2 level. The Bulldogs open the 2024 season on Thursday, Sept. 5 at home against West Virginia State.
“Our hope is that the example that these guys left will filter down to our current and future teams here at Barton,” Hester said. “We have a solid foundation, now we have to find ways to even get better.”
