He could've left early for college. But this football star stayed and was rewarded

Kenny Johnson described his Memorial Day weekend as "insane."

He meant insanely busy.

The Dallastown senior ran the 200-meter dash at the PIAA track and field championships Friday. Then rushed back to Dallastown for the school's graduation ceremony that evening. Then a full day of practice and events for the Big 33 Football Classic all-star football game Saturday.

Then, of course, the game itself on Sunday.

"I had to do so much rushing around," he said. "At one point it was really more about recovery. I had to make sure I was recovering (physically) from each event."

But the busy weekend was worth it for Johnson. The 6-foot-2 wide receiver put on a show at the Big 33 game — catching nine passes for 161 yards and a touchdown. His 31-yard touchdown with 1:15 to play was a stunning, over-the-shoulder grab that lifted Pennsylvania to a 31-27 victory over Maryland at Bishop McDevitt High School in Harrisburg this past Sunday.

Johnson was named the game's MVP. According to Big 33 records, he's the first player from York County to earn the award.

Johnson's performance wasn't just historic and highlight-reel worthy. It was something of a throwback. While the Big 33 is one of the most prestigious all-star football games in the country — every Super Bowl has featured at least one of the game's alum — it has lost some of its luster in recent years. Part of that is because of the emergence of national contests like the Under-Armour All-America Game and the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

But another reason is many top football recruits now graduate early and enroll in college spring of their senior year of high school. Other players opt out to avoid injury. For example, Central York quarterback Beau Pribula (Penn State) and York High running back Jahiem White (West Virginia) chose not to play the past two seasons. It's simply a different era from the days when Joe Namath, Joe Montana, Dan Marino and Jim Kelly all chose to play.

Johnson could've fallen into that camp. He's accepted a full scholarship from the University of Pittsburgh and will report to the school on June 19. Whether he graduated early or not, he could've been cautious and spent the past few weeks resting and training for his collegiate career.

Learn more about Johnson: Why he chose Pitt football over Penn State and others

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As someone who also wrestled and played basketball at different points in high school, Johnson said playing in the Big 33 game was simply about being true to himself.

"Even working out and training can be an injury risk," he said. "I've always played a lot of sports and being able to finish my high school career out like this and build more relationships meant everything to me. I wanted to finish what I started."

Johnson enjoyed being teammates once again with York Suburban senior Mikey Bentivegna, who he grew up playing with before he moved to Dallastown in 2021. And he appreciated the Big 33's Buddy Program, which pairs each player with a child with disabilities from Pennsylvania. He spent most of Saturday speaking with Aidan Corby, a 14-year-old from Saint Clair who is currently training for the Special Olympics.

But Johnson is a competitor, and he relished getting to play one more high school football game with some of the best players in the state. He admitted to nearly getting overwhelmed by the moment when he accepted the MVP trophy and then found Dallastown head coach Levi Murphy for an embrace on the field.

Still, he knows not every athlete in the future will chose the same path as him. And he thinks that OK.

With his college career about to begin, Johnson wanted to feel like a kid one more time.

"It's up to you and your situation," he said about whether other star players should participate in all-star games. "You have to do what's best for you. There will be glimpses of fun in college, but it's all about hard work and the grind. I wanted to go out with a bang and have some more fun. Because you can't lose your love for the game."

Matt Allibone is a sports reporter for GameTimePA. He can be reached at 717-881-8221, mallibone@ydr.com or on Twitter at @bad2theallibone. 

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Dallastown's Kenny Johnson leaves for Pitt with Big 33 MVP in hand