Former NFL player Nick Johnson helped lead the Luthern track team to victory.
Photo courtesy of Jana Leppien
Day after day, St. Louis Rams wide receiver Nick Johnson drove past the
Lutheran (St. Peters, Mo.) track this spring en route from practice to his nearby home.
On the spur of the moment in April he decided to stop and ask the coaches if he could help their girls track team as a volunteer.
"I was shocked," coach Bob Carter told MaxPreps. "I asked him what he wanted to do and he said sprinters. He ran the weight room, too."
The presence of someone claiming to be an NFL player also sent several athletes scampering to the locker room to Google him and to their pleasant surprise they quickly learned he was authentic.
Nick Johnson, St. Louis Rams
Photo courtesy of Newman Lowrance/St. Louis Rams
Speaking from the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Camp at UCLA, Johnson explained, "We were training hard from 8 until 12 every day and my afternoons always were open. I wanted a better way to spend my time and serve. I pulled the 'Rams card' so I wouldn't look bad. They were very welcoming. I was introduced to the team and we had a meet the next day."
The 23-year-old Johnson, who participated in track and football both in high school and college, blended his talents so well with the veteran coaching staff that the Lutheran girls were able to win the first Class 2 state championship in school history, giving Carter a great retirement present to conclude his 43-year career. There were 19 girls on the squad at a school with 292 students in grades 9-12.
The Rams, who encourage their players to get involved in the community, were so pleased that they made
a special video that they displayed prominently on their website.
Molly Higgins, vice president of corporate communications and civic affairs, told MaxPreps, "As a professional sports team, we believe we have an incredible platform to impact the community, and nobody embraces that philosophy more than Nick Johnson. He is one of our most active charitable participants and someone who is constantly looking for meaningful ways to engage the community.
"Since his arrival in St. Louis, he has been a vital part of our team's community outreach efforts, and I think he saw coaching as another unique way to share his time and talents to impact youth. We are proud of all of his efforts and certainly we applaud this most recent example of volunteerism."
Looking back, the 68-year-old Carter said that Johnson "was very energetic and that helped. He got along well with the kids and explained things well. It was just a perfect situation."
Assistant Activities Director Jana Leppien added, "He made a very positive impact on our athletes. He spoke at our FCA meeting. The girls felt he knew a lot and was able to help them improve."
Carter asked Johnson to work under sprint coach Dave Sparks, who said he "made an immediate impact, because of the morale. They all kind of get gaga, so to speak. They all listened because Nick knew what he was talking about. I gave him the workouts and told him he had free reign in the weight room. He was really good with relay handoffs. We actually were able to shave off seconds."
The Cougars spent a lot of time inside on conditioning and weightlifting due to the wet, cold spring.
Nick Johnson, St. Louis Rams
Photo courtesy of Newman Lowrance/St. Louis Rams
"At first they just hated it," Johnson admitted. "I made it a point to stretch and work on flexibility. Everybody improved."
The conditioning program was so successful that not one girl was injured or suffered a pulled muscle, Sparks proudly pointed out.
Sparks was quite surprised one day when Johnson's wife, Natalia - who was five months pregnant - showed up and demonstrated the proper form for long jumpers with a couple leaps into the pit. She was a college standout in the event.
The Cougars won the state title by 17 points, capturing first place in three relays - all with school-record times. Courtney Rogers won the 1,600-meter run and was second in the 3,200. Sophie Angell placed third in the 800 and Hannah Leppien was fourth in the 200 with a school-record time of 25.8 seconds.
Asked who he felt improved the most, Johnson replied, "Hannah Leppien made a huge drop in speed. One of the things that helped her out was the weight room."
The 5-8 Leppien, who will be a senior, said working with Johnson "was a really cool, neat experience. He improved our starts with drills and warmups - fresh eyes. He had me come out of the blocks a lot faster, sprinting harder in the first part of my race. He took time to hang out with us and was really supportive. We loved having him around."
Johnson was quite happy he was able to witness the Cougars' banner campaign.
He noted, "It was a good feeling that I was a part of it. I got great experience impacting these young boys and girls. I would say they will be favored to repeat (losing just one place winner through graduation)."
At a postseason party, the Johnsons received a huge basket filled with baby clothes and baby toys. Son Nehemiah is expected in September. In return, he signed his Rams football card for every team member.
Johnson, whose uncle Sherman Cocroft played safety for three NFL teams, now must continue his quest to win a regular roster spot with the Rams. The 5-11, 190-pounder, who runs 40 yards in 4.38 seconds, was one of eight "taxi squad" members last year after hooking on as an undrafted free agent from Henderson State University (Arkansas). The Rams maintain a roster of 53 players plus eight others who practice but are only going to see action due to an injury or trade. Ninety are bidding for the 53 positions.
He hopes to be a volunteer coach again next year.
"I am a servant coach," Johnson related. "Even though I help others, I always get something out of it. I get a lot of joy from it."
