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Athlete of the Week: Myranda Johnson

Most football players grow playing the sports from childhood through their senior year of high school.

TOLEDO, OH (WTOL) - Most football players grow playing the sports from childhood through their senior year of high school.

Myranda Johnson is different. This year as a senior, she is taking the gridiron for the first time for Rogers High School, making a lifelong dream come true.

"Sadly, the high schools that I went to didn't let me play because I was a female because it was a male sport," Johnson said. "So when I met the new Rogers coach, they all sat down with me and allowed me to talk to them about why I want to play. It was like, 'You know what, you can do it.'"

With this special opportunity, Johnson was open to doing any position on the field. She settled for a lineman, or linewoman, position.

"When I was talking to her, she was like 'I want to hit, I want to be in there,' Coach Terrence Blevins said. "So I was like, 'Okay.' And we threw her in the trenches. She's on the O-Line and she's been doing pretty well."

Some on her team were skeptical at first, as many had never played with a female before. But they got over it when they saw her in practice.

"They were like, 'Why you want to play football? You're a girl. Do a girly sport,'" Johnson said. "We started bonding with each other. They started to get to know me. We started coming close together as a team. They really actually accepted me as who I am."

Johnson splits her time between the varsity and junior varsity team, using every opportunity to get better.

She continues to soak up her time dawning a Rogers jersey for the remainder of her senior year. She also hopes others will follow her example.

"If you want to be something else, you can try out for that position. Do not be afraid. That's the one thing you cannot do," Johnson said. "Do what you want to do on that team."

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