Flomaton's Daquan Johnson signs scholarship to play for Duke University
Johnson surrounded by coaches and family in signing ceremony
Friends and family feasted on 'Money' cake after signing
Flomaton High School's Daquan 'Money' Johnson made it official Wednesday morning when he signed a football scholarship with Duke University and will take his talents 660 miles away to Durham, N.C.
Surrounded by family and friends, Johnson made the announcement at FHS that he was headed to Duke.
Johnson had scholarship offers from Southern Miss, Army, South Alabama, Troy and Tulane. He had previously committed to Troy, but said Duke opened up a lot of opportunities.
"Football ends at some point," Johnson. "For me and my future, Duke provides the best opportunity. Football doesn't last but getting an education can last forever."
Johnson said he will leave the last week of May to head to Durham.
While at Flomaton, Johnson put up big offensive numbers, but Duke and others recruited him as a safety.
From his sophomore through senior year at Flomaton, he rushed for 6,313 yards and scored 69 touchdowns. He also passed for 2,947 yards and 36 touchdowns.
Johnson was the Class 3A Back of the Year in 2018 and named the Most Valuable Player in the state championship game that brought Flomaton its first state football title.
"I'm proud to be a Duke mom," said Tiffany Johnson, Daquan's mother.
Like her son, she felt Duke offered him a better opportunity for the long haul. She said when he started playing Little League football she had dreams of this day, but also noted he worked just as hard on his grades as he did on the football field.
"I'm like a proud parent," said Flomaton head football coach Doug Vickery. "It's like when your child graduates from high school, gets married and moves on. You are a proud parent."
"He's an outstanding athlete and student, but most important is he's a great human being," Vickery said. "He checks all the boxes."
Coach V got choked up trying to say something before the ceremony and simply said "I'm proud of you".
FHS Principal Scott Hammond said Johnson heading to Duke is not only huge for him but it's huge for the school.
"It's an opportunity of a lifetime," Hammond said. "He's done so much for this school over the last couple of years athletically and academically. He's an outstanding student and an outstanding person. It's hard to imagine that Duke symbol on one of your kids."
