by Pat Turner, goUTSA.com contributing writer
SAN ANTONIO — Nic Johnston’s senior season was supposed to be memorable.
After all, the 6-foot-2, 215-pound safety from Coppell had become a valuable asset to UTSA’s defense the previous three seasons. Because of Johnston’s ability to make plays on a regular basis, coupled with the Roadrunners’ impressive debut in Conference USA the previous year, winning a league championship and playing in a bowl game looked promising.
Unfortunately for Johnston, things have not turned out that way because a leg injury sustained at Louisiana Tech on Oct. 18 ended his final campaign with five games remaining.
Not being able to be on the field is causing the most heartache, but he still is contributing, albeit in a different way.
When UTSA lines up against Southern Miss tonight at the Alamodome, he may not be making tackles or breaking up passes, but he’ll have a presence by encouraging his teammates from the sidelines.
“I probably have had the worst senior year you could think of,” Johnston said. “It’s been hard, but it’s one of those things where you forget it and drive on. There’s not much I can do right now for my teammates as far as playing, but I can try to show the young guys that I really care about this sport and encourage them to feel the same way.”
This year was trying from the beginning.
Prior to the season-ending injury, other nagging injuries had limited Johnston to just four games. Just when it appeared he was getting back to full strength, the big blow came against the Bulldogs.
“I knew right away it was bad,” Johnston said. “I had injuries all season that hurt me. I only played in three games and that was hard for me. I played well in those games, but I didn’t have the senior year I envisioned. I still try to look at the positives.”
The positives are plentiful.
As one of UTSA’s “Original 18,” Johnston stuck it out from the redshirt practice season in 2010 and steadily improved every year.
He already had a high football IQ long before signing with the Roadrunners, along with the hard-nosed traits needed to succeed in the secondary.
Soon after arriving at UTSA, those traits stood out.
During the Roadrunners’ inaugural season, Johnston started all 10 games and racked up 59 tackles to go along with three fumble recoveries and two interceptions.
The next season was even better.
During UTSA’s only year in the Western Athletic Conference in 2012, Johnston recorded 73 stops, including a dozen against Louisiana Tech. He also led the team with four forced fumbles, ranked second with five TFLs and recorded five pass breakups, an interception and one sack.
As a junior, it was more of the same, as he posted 70 tackles, one interception and a fumble recovery.
Johnston has been equally successful in the classroom.
He graduated this past summer with a degree in exercise science and currently is in UTSA’s master of business administration program.
Working on his MBA has been therapeutic through these difficult times.
“I’ve been focusing a lot on that through this,” Johnston said. “Focusing on my school work has helped take my mind off a lot of things right now.“
Johnston’s ability to do both has made him a model student-athlete.
“Nic has been a great player for us,” head coach Larry Coker said. “He’s one of 18 seniors that has been here since the beginning and he’s one of our leaders. It was heartbreaking to see his season end the way that it did because he had really worked hard. He’s still a big part of this team.”
The Roadrunners knew Johnston had those impact-making skills long before he played in a game. The first hint came during UTSA’s contact drills during practice sessions when the safety was hitting everything that came in his vicinity.
Johnston’s teammates loved his hard-nosed play and they also appreciated the example he set both on and off the field.
“Nic not only is a good teammate, but he is one of my close friends,” senior linebacker Cody Rogers said. “Our first two years, we roomed together in the dorms. He’s always been there for all of us. Losing him has been heartbreaking. It’s heartbreaking for Nic because he has put so much into this program, but it’s also heartbreaking for our team.
“He was the quarterback of our defense. He knows the play before the ball is even snapped. It’s hard to see him not playing because he has so much heart on the field. It is just very impressive. He is a heck of a football player.”
Following a productive senior season at Coppell High School, Johnston had offers to play at the next level.
He was set to sign with Towson, but UTSA caught his attention. A big attraction was the opportunity to play for Coker and help get a new program in the Lone Star State off the ground. He also liked the idea of playing closer to home so his family could watch him play. On the personal side, he and his parents were familiar with San Antonio since his sister played volleyball at St. Mary’s.
“The vision they put in our eyes was great,” Johnston said. “They really sold me on what it could be and what we could be part of. As a kid I watched Coach Coker when he was at Miami and I knew I really wanted to be coached by him.”
Johnston has no regrets.
“There’s no place I would rather have been these last five years,” Johnston said. “Some of the things we set out to do happened. Some of the things didn’t. Overall, we did more than expected and we have had a real blast.
“This season hasn’t gone the way we wanted, but when it comes down to it, we know the program is headed in the right direction. These past few years have meant a lot to many people. We have touched a lot of lives and made a bond that I will never forget. We’re a band of brothers. I will always be part of this program.”