A year of wonders continues for former Northern Nash and Barton College standout Kameron Johnson.
After impressing during preseason camp, Johnson learned that he has made the 53-man regular-season roster for the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Bucs announced their final cuts on Monday evening and chose to keep Johnson as one of their five wide receivers. He’ll join veterans Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, as well as Trey Palmer and Jalen McMillan as targets for starting quarterback Baker Mayfield, who referred to Johnson as a “stud” during training camp.
Johnson overcame a rib injury during camp and saw his first game action in Tampa Bay’s final preseason tune-up against the Miami Dolphins on Friday. He caught three passes for 12 yards and made two rushes for 13.
Despite the injury he did enough in camp to impress his teammates and coaches — and the media, which churned out numerous stories on his rise from D2 football to the cusp of the NFL.
Gulf Live featured Johnson over the weekend and asked him about the difference between playing in an NFL stadium versus playing in front of 600 fans at a D2 contest.
“It was just a sense of gratitude for me,” Johnson told Gulf Live. “I think it was right before the half at the two-minute break. I was in the huddle with Kyle Trask, Cody Thompson, Ryan Miller, [and] Bucky Irving. I’m just looking around, I’m just taking in the view like, ‘Wow, I’m really living out my dream.'”
Tampa Bay is set to open the regular season Sunday, Sept. 8 at home against Washington. The Bucs play the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte in Week 13 (Sunday, Dec. 1).
Mars Hill’s Landon Honeycutt released by Browns
Former Mars Hill standout Landon Honeycutt is also trying to make the D2-to-NFL jump. The All-American linebacker, who played at Mount Pleasant High before a stellar career at Mars Hill, signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Cleveland Browns earlier this summer but was waived by the team on Monday.
He was one of three linebackers and 16 total players dropped by the squad as Cleveland trims down to 53.
In many cases, players who are cut at this stage, if not claimed on waivers by another team, will sign on as practice squad members.
