Many were shocked yesterday afternoon, when news broke that former Clemson Tiger, Jadar Johnson would be retiring from football. Here’s the best twitter reactions.
Johnson was a fundamental piece in Clemson’s 2016 National Championship run. Coming into the season there were plenty of questions about the Tigers’ talent in the secondary. Johnson, having never started prior to that season was confident in Clemson’s ability to keep the train rolling.
Throughout the season, he proved that his confidence was well warranted as Clemson was one of the best passing defenses in the country in 2016, allowing just 181.9 yards per game through the air.
In an email to NJ Advanced Media, Johnson’s agent stated the following regarding his retirement:
"This was not an easy decision for him to make, but it is the right decision for him. He has new ventures that he wants to pursue and he values his health."
It’s interesting that health was listed as one of the factors that weighed into his decision to retire. The findings from a recent CTE study conducted on former NFL players showed that developing the serious brain disease is nearly a foregone conclusion for professional football players.
Here’s a few tweets wishing Johnson well in the future.
Johnson is the second player from the Tigers’ 2016 graduating class to retire. Former center Jay Guillermo decided to hang up his cleats much earlier in the offseason after working out for the Indianapolis Colts and a CFL team. At this point there are no clear indications as to what either Guillermo or Johnson are planning on pursuing.
With Johnson’s charisma and drive, there’s no doubt that he will go far in whatever ventures he decides to pursue. One things for sure, the Clemson faithful will never forget him contribution to the 2016 National Championship.