SoCal athlete leads on and off field

Inglewood, Calif., high school at times is an excellent place to find football players. This is one of those times with ex-NFL defensive back Charles Mincy now at the helm, the Inglewood program is having a resurgence. There could be up to three players who could get D-I scholies and they have one of the best underclass wide receivers who is destined for the D-I level.

One of those players who looks to be in line for a D-I scholie for the class of 2008 is safety/wide receiver Marlon Johnson (6-0, 185, 4.5).

"Marlon is the MVP on our team," Inglewood assistant coach Ali Khalid said. "He's our most versatile player.

"Marlon is a great kid and he's very coachable. He does whatever we ask of him.

"Marlon is a vocal leader and a great student (3.3 GPA). He leads weight room workouts, organizes off season workouts and often calls player's only meetings. He also motivates peers and underclassmen.

"Marlon will be starting quarterback and free safety for us in this first game and we believe that he will manage the team well on both sides of the ball," Khalid said. "He has managed to keep his priorities straight on and off the field. He excels in the classroom and on the field. This past spring, his GPA was 3.66.

More than likely, Johnson will return to his wide receiver position after the opener, but that he is good enough to step in a signal-caller is a great indicator the type of athlete he is. He even has the skill level to play corner.

Johnson also has bloodlines. His father played Oregon so it isn't surprising that the Ducks are showing recruiting interest in the talented athlete from Inglewood.

San Diego State is also recruiting him pretty hard. Other schools showing interest are Arizona State, Washington State, Nevada, Colorado State, Utah and Kansas State.

Johnson also participates in track. His events are the 400, 200, and 100.