By Pat Turner
Cassius Grady and Clayton Johnson found their pot of gold at UTSA.
It was a long journey filled with twists, turns and even a few bumps on the road, but the two stayed on course and are reaping the rewards as UTSA's senior cornerback duo.
Since this is their final campaign, they're trying to make things a little richer with a strong finish. Saturday will be another opportunity to do just that when the Roadrunners host Rice for Homecoming at the Alamodome.
"We always knew we could play at this level," Johnson said. "You have to out there and make plays. You have to grind and work hard every day. We understand this is special. Not everybody gets to do this. We don't take it for granted."
Their passion for defense is evident whenever they hit the field. They love to be right in the thick of the action, as both have four career interceptions, tied for fifth in school history.
They have something else in common. Both went different routes to become part of UTSA's secondary.
Johnson went to Oklahoma State after Flower Mound High School. After a year, he decided to transfer.
During his search, UTSA entered the picture thanks to former defensive line coach Eric Henderson, who had recruited Johnson to Oklahoma State before joining the Roadrunners' coaching staff.
It meant coming as a walk-on in the beginning, but Johnson worked his way into a starting role.
"Coach Henderson told me they had a spot for me if I would come down and work," Johnson said. "It was a great opportunity.
"It was kind of tough at first. Everything was new to me. Over time I started feeling comfortable."
Grady was going through a similar situation. Following a standout career at Arlington High, he went to Northern Illinois. Despite faring well on the field, academic struggles cost him his eligibility. He spent the next year out of football after returning home. While working various jobs, the love for football remained.
When an offer came from Trinity Valley Community College, Grady accepted. That's where everything got back on track. In addition to improving his academics, he shined in the secondary with four interceptions and 21 tackles in 11 games.
That success led him to UTSA.
"I had a few bumps on the road," Grady said. "Being at Trinity Valley really helped me get ready for this competition. Junior college football has a lot of talent. It prepared me for this moment. To get another shot has been a blessing. I'm getting to live my dream."
Having someone going through the same situation was also a blessing for the two.
"I felt this brought us closer together," Johnson said. "When we got here, we were in the same boat. We pushed each other. We said we had to grind every day.
"We're together a lot and know how to communicate. We help each other on coverages. We pick up a lot from each other like we do with our other teammates."
Grady found a special teammate in Johnson, not only because of his talent but his willingness to help others become better in their roles.
"Clayton is like a coach on the field," Grady said. "He has a little bit of everything. He knows the ins and outs of everything. He helped me out tremendously on the mental part and learning the defense. He's been a great teammate."
The two didn't waste time making their presence be known with the Roadrunners. During the 2018 season, Grady tied the school season record with four interceptions while totaling 45 tackles.
"I always knew I had it in me," Grady said. "I had lot of confidence, but I couldn't have done it without my team. They helped me so much and gave me opportunities."
Johnson appeared in six games as a sophomore and had two interceptions with four tackles in six games. This past year, he was on his way to a bigger season after producing 23 stops and two picks in the first seven games. However, an injury sidelined him the rest of the year. Once again, Johnson overcame the hurdle.
"I felt a part of me was taken away," Johnson said. "Something like that humbles you because you realize the game can be taken away from you in a heartbeat. But I worked on coming back.
"When you come back you have to earn everything. It took a while for me to do that. I kept battling and battling to get into my groove. If it hadn't been for the people in that (locker) room, I wouldn't have been able to do it. They helped me a lot and it all worked out."
Now, they're looking to shine a little brighter.
- UTSA -
