New Tider
Clint Johnston

High School: Wetumpka
HS Position: TE
HS Number: 9
AL Number: 38
Official Visits: Alabama and Southern Miss
Second Choice: Southern Miss
Academic Status: Qualified

Q&A with Clint Johnston

TI: When you attended Alabama's football camp last summer, did you think that you would eventually be offered a scholarship by Alabama?

CJ: During the May evaluation period when Coach Rouzie came to my school, he really didn't tell me what my chances were, but he said that they were going to need some tight ends and that they would like for me to come to their camp. After the camp they told me that they wanted to come to a game or two and see me play. They said that there was a chance that they would sign me but they weren't ready to offer me yet. From then on I was holding out for Alabama. Alabama was the only school that I would've committed to last summer. Once all the coaching stuff started coming out that Coach DuBose might get fired was when I decided to commit to Southern Miss.

TI: So which games did the Alabama coaches come to see you play?

CJ: Well, Coach Rouzie was supposed to come see me against Stanhope Elmore. He came to my school first to watch some film of me, which just happened to be my best game. After watching the film, he said that he saw everything he needed to see and that he wanted to take it back and tell Coach DuBose that they needed to offer me. He took the film and Coach Cottrell and Coach Thompson watched it. Then the next Tuesday night Coach Cottrell called and asked me to call him back the next day and we'd set up something to get me committed. Then, boom, the next day Coach DuBose gets fired.

TI: Really? What were you feeling at that point?

CJ: Oh, for a lack of a better word, I was devastated. I mean I was right there ready to get an offer and everything went down the tubes.

TI: Did you think 'Oh no, there goes my chance to play for Alabama'?

CJ: Yeah, I really did. In fact, when the new staff got in I really didn't know if I wanted to talk to them, because I didn't want to go through anymore wondering. I didn't want to get my hopes up again and be let down. I had committed to Southern Miss in October and I was thinking that's what I was going to do. I took my official visit to Southern Miss on December 9th and told them that I was going to stick to my commitment. On December 10th, Coach Helduser called and said he was coming by my school to see me. I told him that I didn't know how much good it was going to do but that he could come down.

TI: For a kid like yourself that had loved Alabama all of his life, why did you discourage the new coaching staff? That could've possibly ruined your chances of going to Alabama.

CJ: I went through a very emotional time in November. It was a seventeen year-old dream that I had [to play for Alabama]. I sat there every night hoping the telephone would ring and that it would be Alabama calling to say that they wanted me. I was afraid of going through that again. I just can't tell you how many times that Coach Rouzie or Coach Cottrell would call and I would be thinking that this time they're going to offer me and they didn't. I wanted to talk to the new coaches, but I didn't want to get my hopes up again.

TI: So Coach Helduser came by your school and what happened?

CJ: Actually, Coach Helduser and Coach Tommerdahl came by on a Monday. Coach Tommerdahl was saying things like, 'Clint, a lot is going to change at Alabama. If you decide to come to Alabama…'

I was like, 'Hold on a minute, you're saying that if I decide to come to Alabama. Are you offering me a scholarship?'

He said: 'I told you that I didn't come here to just chitchat. You have a scholarship to Alabama.'

I said: 'OK, you've got a commitment.'

TI: Was it hard to call Southern Miss and tell them you had changed your mind?

CJ: It was hard. I hated doing it. I didn't want to do it, but I had to. I knew that I had to tell them so my commitment to Alabama could be firm. I love Alabama, so I had to do it.

TI: How did the Southern Miss coaches react?

CJ: They weren't too happy about it, but they understood. They knew that they couldn't come into the state of Alabama and compete with Alabama for an Alabama boy. They knew that I grew up an Alabama fan.

TI: Did they try to recruit you after that?

CJ: They called about two weeks before signing day and asked me if I had any reservations about Alabama with all the NCAA rumors going around. I told them that I was still going to Alabama.

TI: Which other schools besides Alabama and Southern Miss recruited you?

CJ: LSU and Ole Miss recruited me but they didn't offer me. My offers were Alabama, Southern Miss, Vanderbilt, Louisville, Georgia Tech, Duke and Troy State.

TI: Those who followed recruiting know that you are big into working out. When did you start hitting the weights?

CJ: I started in the eighth-grade, but I didn't get real serious about it until my tenth-grade year.

TI: How much do you weigh now?

CJ: Well, I was up over 250 before spring break. But the week before spring break I caught Mono, so I dropped 16 pounds. Right now I'm 240. The rest of my weight won't come back until I start working out hard again. But I'm eating twice as much now as I was before I got sick.

TI: So, what are you maxing on your lifts now?

CJ: The last time I maxed I got 395 on the bench. On squats, I'm up to 530. Most of the weight I added was in my legs. I have this unbelievable trainer and he helped me get my legs pretty big. But you know that the last place you build muscle is the first place you lose it, so my legs aren't as big right now because I've been sick.

TI: Are you on the Alabama workout program right now?

CJ: I'm doing some of their lifts. But Coach Tommerdahl told me that since I'm doing so good with my trainer to stick with that.

TI: Have you talked much with [UA strength coach] Coach Pollard?

CJ: Yeah, I've talked with Coach Pollard a lot. I've sat down with him and told him what I'm doing and he approved it.

TI: I bet that he loves you, doesn't he?

CJ: [Laughing] Yeah. I mean, we both like doing the same thing [working out].

TI: Would you consider yourself a self-made player? By that, I mean do you feel that your efforts in the weightroom helped you develop into a football player?

CJ: I know that I don't have everything [athletically]. I was born with good genetics. But I've worked hard. My dream was to play college football and to play for Alabama. I spent a lot of extra time in the weightroom to get bigger and stronger so I could play college football.

TI: Coach Fran says that he will emphasize recruiting players from the state of Alabama. In fact, he used you as an example of why he believes in recruiting home state players. He said that you told him that it had always been your dream to put on the Crimson jersey.

CJ: That was great that he recognized how much I wanted to play at Alabama. I think it's great to keep Alabama boys at home. When it comes down to fourth-and-one in the fourth quarter I think it means more to the Alabama boys. This is our state and our university and we have a lot pride.

TI: During spring practice Coach Fran was asked which freshmen had a chance to play early and he mentioned your name. How do you feel about that?

CJ: I read that. That really made me feel good. It motivates me to know that he thinks that. I could end up getting redshirted, but because of the lack of depth there's a good chance I could play. I just want to help the team in whatever way.

Johnston (L) and Mark Sanders at one of the Tide practices this spring.

TI: Who are some of the guys in this recruiting class that you're close to?

CJ: I talk to Mark Sanders. I talk to Von Ewing. I've talked to Freddie Roach a few times. We're all pretty good friends. We can't wait to get up there and hopefully help the team out.

TI: How do you guys feel about some people saying this isn't a great recruiting class?

CJ: This class doesn't have as many SuperPrep All-Americans or Parade All-Americans. But this class is filled with a bunch of guys like Mark Sanders, Spencer Pennington, Von Ewing and some other guys that just want to play for Alabama. When it comes down to it, we're going to be the ones that work harder in the weightroom because we want to play for Alabama. We're the kind of guys that will be playing for Alabama, not be playing just to get on ESPN.

TI: When do you expect to report to Alabama?

CJ: I was going in June. But since I got Mono and lost some weight, I'm going to wait until July. In May I'm starting on another eight-week workout cycle and that will be over around the time the second semester of summer school starts.

TI: Talk about your goals at Alabama.

CJ: I would love to win a national championship. I definitely want to play in the SEC Championship game. I'd love to be an All-SEC tight end. I want to beat Auburn all four years.

TI: What about Tennessee?

CJ: I'd love to beat Tennessee, but not as bad as I want to beat Auburn.

TI: What are your impressions of Coach Fran and his staff?

CJ: Well, I really like Coach Fran! I think he is big on discipline and I really like what he wants to do to the program at Alabama. He knows what he's doing. I like the assistant coaches a lot too. I have a great relationship with Coach Tommerdahl and Coach Helduser. Coach Pollard is a really nice guy and I'm looking forward to getting to work with him. Overall, I'm very impressed with all the coaches and I can't wait to play for them.