Temple University Athletics
Jamel Johnson: Chip on My Shoulder
10.18.24 | Football
Jamel Johnson's road to playing at Temple, in the city of Philadelphia, has been anything but easy. Jamel grew up in Covington, Georgia, where he had an eventful childhood, with sports at the forefront. At five years old, his dad placed a football in his hands for the first time, and ever since then he has been in love with the game.
Â
In high school, Jamel was playing the wide receiver and safety positions, but has always known that he wanted to play cornerback. Although he was giving his all and became an all-state player, and was the Georgia Region 3 6A Athlete of the Year, he was still very under recruited coming out of high school. With only one D2 offer, and one D1 offer, he decided to take the opportunity to go D1, and take his talents to Charleston Southern. Playing two seasons there, he decided that he wanted a change, and wanted to play football at an FBS school. Hitting the portal was a tough decision, but he had his mind made up. When hitting the portal, he was still very under-recruited, which he was no stranger to. Despite everyone overlooking his talents, he used it as motivation. Temple defensive coordinator Everett Withers reached out to Jamel, and showed interest in him, when he wasn't getting looks for many other places. Plus, he really liked head coach Stan Drayton. "Temple took a chance on me when no one else wanted to, so I was super grateful for the opportunity. I just wanted an opportunity to prove that I can play at this level " Jamel said.
Â
Jamel arrived in Philadelphia in the beginning of 2024, and has been adjusting well. "I'm still adjusting to the cold, but otherwise I've adjusted to everything else." Jamel explained. He really likes Philly, explaining that there is a lot to do, and he is very interested in how historical the city is. One thing he misses the most about Georgia is a 10-piece hot lemon pepper wing platter with fries from American Deli. "That's the first place I go when I get back to Georgia." Jamel said "That is my all-time favorite food."
Â
When Jamel is not playing football, he is attending classes to get his degree in audio and live entertainment. Other than academics and football, Jamel loves to read, listen to music, watch Netflix, play video games, cook, and he takes so much pride in his hair. He has been growing it out since he was in 5th grade, and dyed it green because green is his favorite color. Spending time with his best friends Louis Frye, Andreas Keaton, A.J. Anderson, and Ben Osueke is also something he loves to do with his free time.
Â
Before every game, Jamel makes sure to eat french toast as a part of his pregame ritual. He keeps himself very calm before every game, by praying and listening to his favorite artist Kendrick Lamar. He also makes sure he walks the entire length of the field before every game. He goes into every game with such gratitude that he has the opportunity to play at this level, as he has been dreaming about it for so long. "I play with a chip on my shoulder because I want to show everyone that I am able to play and have success at the FBS level." Jamel explained.
Â
Jamel's "why" is both of his parents. He hopes to one day provide them with a luxury lifestyle, and help them out of their current situation. He also takes pride in motivating people back home, to show that a kid from Covington can play wherever they put their mind to, and hopes that the younger generation from Covington will use him as motivation to chase their dreams. Jamel is looking forward to the rest of the season, and has a goal to get first team all-conference, maintain a 3.5 GPA, and get more involved within the community of Philadelphia
