Athletics

My Journey to the NFL: Part One

N Our Voice by Ty Robinson

My Journey to the NFL: Part OneMac Johnson

I still remember my "welcome to college football" moment. 

I lined up slightly off-center against Wisconsin my freshman year.

Jonathan Taylor ended up running right into my gap and just ran me over. 

I was not expecting to get hit like that. 

That definitely opened up my eyes to the fact that this was big-boy ball now. 

I wasn't in high school anymore where the running backs are 5 feet 10 inches tall and weigh 190 pounds.

I realized I needed to get bigger, faster, and stronger to compete.

Flash forward a few years, and I'm grateful I've gotten the hang of it.

Playing at Nebraska has meant the world to me. 

I've grown so much as a player and a person during my time as a Husker, and I owe that to the coaches, teammates, and fans who supported me along the way.

Now, I'm ready to represent the Husker community in the NFL. 

Making decisions

The college recruiting process kind of took me by surprise.

I got my first offer from Iowa State after my sophomore season of high school. To be totally honest, I didn't know much about the program at the time.

After that, I was like, "Okay, I need to do a bit more research on these schools."

From that point on, it was a 24/7 process.

I was texting, emailing, and calling coaches all the time. I remember one day, I got three P5 offers within 30 minutes of each other. 

It was definitely a cool experience to visit so many campuses.

My recruiting class came down to Oregon, Nebraska, USC, Stanford, and Alabama. 

I was very grateful to have so many options on the table, but after a while, I realized I kept comparing every school to Nebraska. 

The Huskers have such a winning history and a historic program, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

Another thing that sealed the deal for me was that Nebraska brought all 11 coaches to my home visit.

To shut down recruiting nationally just to come see one guy meant a lot to me.

I wasn't just another player to them.

They were all willing to commit to me, so I was willing to commit to them.

Learning the College Game

Thankfully, with the exception of getting bulldozed by Jonathan Taylor, my transition from high school to college was fairly smooth.

College taught me how to see the game differently. I started to understand football from a schematic point of view.

I studied the playbook like you'd study for an exam.

As a defensive lineman, you need to anticipate the offense's next move — you need to know the answers before you take the test.

I was fortunate to have a great group of older D-linemen who took me under their wing and helped me in that way. 

And their investment paid off.

One of my most memorable moments at Nebraska was earning my Blackshirt for the first time.

It was really special to earn that honor as a younger teammate, especially because of our defense's national reputation and tradition.

Another highlight was when we went to a bowl game.

It had been eight years since Nebraska had been to a bowl game, and it felt incredible to finally get over that hump. 

Winning the game and finishing the season on a high note was an amazing feeling.

Truthfully, being a part of that transformation was a big reason I came back for my last year in the first place.

I felt the change within our team. 

And I wanted to be a part of that. 

I mean, I hate to lose. 

Each game I'd get flustered and madder because I just didn't understand what was going wrong. 

But I've learned a lot through those challenges.

Even when it seems like the whole thing's against you, and you've got your back to the wall, I've learned how to fight my way out.

The NFL Combine

After my time at Nebraska, I went down to EXOS in Arizona and worked out with a great group of people to prepare for the NFL Combine.

Coach Nic's reputation speaks for itself. I think he's one of the best speed coaches in the country. He accelerated my progress throughout the time I was there.

I grew faster and stronger every day.

And I can't forget about the PT group, either.

My guy, Dr. Franco Loza took care of me three times a week, making sure I stayed on top of everything, recovery-wise.

Ariah Fish was the nutritionist, and I have to give a shout-out to the chefs, too.

Their food was awesome.

I kept coming back for more.

Everyone's support was vital, and they really sharped my preparation, especially mentally, and gave me the confidence to go into the Combine and kill it.

Ready for the Next Step

And speaking of the Combine, that experience was amazing.

I mean, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help yourself project into the draft and get yourself a spot on a team.

I'd do it all over again if I could.

Truth is, the guys that come out of Nebraska are special.

And I'm grateful to hopefully be one of those guys and represent the Huskers for many years to come in the NFL.

I'm ready to do whatever it takes to get to that level and be the best player I can be.

And I'll always be thankful for everyone who helped me get here.

So, let’s do this!