Jer’Zhan “Johnny” Newton is living his dream.
Newton was chosen No. 36 overall by the Commanders in April’s NFL draft. The former Illinois defensive tackle had been expected by nearly every analyst to be chosen in the first round. However, he fell to the Commanders at the fourth selection of round two.
“Kids dream about this. I still feel like a kid, you know,” began Newton. Arriving for his rookie minicamp and seeing guys with their uniforms, Newton said to himself, “It’s actually real. I’ve been playing football since I was five. So to be here is actually like a dream come true.”
How about on draft night, when Commanders GM Adam Peters called Newton? “I was trying to keep my composure…I was projected for Day One, so I was waiting for that call. I didn’t get upset about it, but it gave me that chip on my shoulder.”
Newton says that when he hung up with Peters, he told his family that he was going to be chosen by the Commanders, hugged his mom, and instantly broke down crying.
The rookie defensive tackle credits both his parents for being supportive of him in his football and basketball growing up. He talked of how he has no hard feelings about not being drafted in the first round, and he understands it is a business. “But I know there wasn’t 32 people better than me. But there is a plan for everything; it was already written. Now I just got to execute it and play to my God-given ability.”
When he was in middle school and began playing defensive line, he remembers Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne, both at Alabama. He also recalls Dante Fowler playing for the Florida Gators. Now, Johnny has become their teammate.