Franklin Regional grad Justin Johns recovers from pec injury, earns All-PAC honors

Justin Johns could feel T.J. Watt’s pain. Literally.

The pair of linebackers shared a similar injury — and a similar comeback story.

Johns, a junior at Washington & Jefferson, tore his pectoralis muscle months before Watt did, while lifting weights in the offseason.

Like the Pittsburgh Steelers’ pass rusher who missed seven games after his injury in Week 1 of the NFL season, Johns healed up and returned to form. Really good form.

Johns may have come back even stronger — much to his surprise, much to the delight of his defensive teammates and much to the chagrin of his opponents — as he terrorized ball carriers and quarterbacks on Saturday afternoons.

In fact, the Franklin Regional graduate is rather taken aback when he reflects on the season he put together.

He admits he was unsure how the season would go following the setback, but he ended up flourishing into one of the top defensive players in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference with a career year.

“I wasn’t even sure if I was going to last the first practice prior to camp,” he said.

Herein lies a secret, at least partially, to his success: Johns did not let the injury stunt his preparation. While the physical side of his game sat dormant, he worked on the mental side.

“I found myself watching more film and studying the playbook more than anything else,” he said. “I knew I was going to be at a disadvantage with the injury, so I had to give myself an advantage elsewhere.”

The 6-foot-1, 220-pound Johns led the PAC with 102 tackles — 51 solo, 51 assisted — and had two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and an interception.

Six of his tackles went for a loss.

Coming from a program at Franklin Regional known for producing linebackers — Johns played for longtime coach Greg Botta, whose forte was defense — Johns couldn’t wait to test his game at the college level.

“I think my favorite thing about playing linebacker is that they’re involved in every aspect of the game,” he said. “Being heavily involved in the run-stop while playing an essential role in pass coverage makes the position, by far, my favorite on the field. I’ve played linebacker since I was 7 years old, and while it’s never been easy, I do believe it was the position I was born to play.”

The game that stands out for Johns — the zenith of his season — came against Grove City when he made light work of the Wolverines and opened eyes across the conference to his talent.

Johns made a career-high 18 tackles and also recorded an interception and a sack in a 31-14 win that earned him Presidents’ Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors.

Johns was named to the All-PAC First Team.

While the Grove City win was suitable for framing, Johns places a victory over another PAC rival slightly ahead of it.

His top memory from the season?

“The locker room after our win against Westminster,” he said. “W&J hadn’t beaten Westminster since 2017, and I was a part of two of those tough losses. So, when we were able to pull off the win this year, everyone just went crazy after the game. It’s a feeling unlike any other, and an experience I’ll never forget.”

Johns will continue to grind in the weight room — carefully, and with proper stretching, of course, with an eye toward overexertion — as he builds toward his senior season.

“I know I can have a better season next year,” he said. “There were plenty of things this season that I need to work on and get better at, and I’m sure I’ll be able to make much progress throughout the offseason with the help of the coaching staff. Between them, my teammates, and the school itself, choosing to attend W&J is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”