Jayden Johnson develops into key two-way player for Flour Bluff football team

In a deep lineup of playmakers for the Flour Bluff football team, you might not pick out Jayden Johnson as the guy that will hurt your team when he's coming off the bus.

But time and again, the 5-foot-9 Hornets senior has proven people wrong.

Johnson intercepted Gregory-Portland's Reed Dooms in the 2022 regular season finale to secure Flour Bluff's first district championship since 2014.

And in the playoffs he continued to make plays as the Hornets returned to the regional final for the third consecutive season.

Any doubt that he would take another step as a senior was wiped away when he set Flour Bluff program records with 12 catches for 268 yards and three touchdowns in the Hornets' statement-making win against No. 2-ranked Boerne in the season opener.

"That game definitely gave me a head of steam and started the season off in the right way," Johnson said. "I feel like I don't want to stop there. I want to keep on going, and maybe even break the record again. I know that if people start keying on me it opens things up for (Cameran) Dickson, Andre (Mimms) and Jordan Jones, which we saw last week."

Johnson eclipsed 1,000 yards receiving with seven touchdowns and 70 tackles on defense as a junior. His rapport with quarterback Jayden Paluseo is as evident as his work ethic, which is part of the reason why he has grown into a vital player for the Hornets.

"He works extremely hard, he studies film," Flour Bluff head coach Chris Steinbruck said. "He is a great student of the game. Outside of what we are doing here, he is getting extra work in, working out at the beach, taking every opportunity to get better. He goes to camps. He loves the game and is very passionate about football.

"He has developed into a phenomenal football player for us."

Paluseo, who himself set a program record with 420 yards passing against Boerne, a year after writing his name into the single-season passing records at Flour Bluff, said Johnson is reliable and will always do what he needs to, to keep the drive alive.

"He is a great player on both sides of the ball," Paluseo said. "We know when we need a few more yards, he is going to make a guy miss and get that first down and keep the chains moving. On defense he is just a great player — a ball hawk. I know on third and fourth down he will step up and make a huge play."

After starting strongly with the win against the Greyhounds, Flour Bluff fell against Class 6A Laredo United South in Week 2, 43-26.

Johnson said the team learns from both wins and losses.

"I feel like we get stronger as the game goes on," Johnson said. "Even if we come out flat, we rally and come together as a team, fix what we need to and come back stronger and stronger."

Steinbruck said there was some trepidation about Johnson playing full time on both sides of the ball, but the senior asked for the workload and has delivered for Flour Bluff.

Johnson said rigorous practices prepare him for the workload.

"It is all preparation. We come to practice and we practice hard," Johnson said. "If you do everything like the coaches ask, the conditioning is there. It prepares you for the game and to come out and perform on Friday."

And this Friday is a big one: rival Calallen.

"It is a big rivalry. I've played with a lot of those guys during Little League ball," Johnson said. "There is a little bit extra this week."

More: Rising stars: Ten high school football players you'll know by November

This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: High school football: Johnson develops into key player for Flour Bluff