New Kansas State commit Avery Johnson talked to the media after announcing he was pledging to Kansas State.
Here is everything he had to say.
Ten feelings
“I’m excited, I’m happy. I mean, I can’t stop myself from smiling right now. So definitely very excited for me.”
On his reason for picking K-State
“I mean, just Coach Klein and I feel like he never stopped recruiting me. I feel like me and him just kind of connected on a personal level and a football level. I can really trust him with the next three to four years of my life. So this is a really big decision for me and I really can see myself at Kansas State, that’s really all it came down to.”
On why he picked K-State
“It was a while ago, so, a little bit over a week ago, before I left for the Elite 11, I told the coaches I was coming. Planned to save this for after because I really wanted to focus and be my best whenever I made it down there in LA. But definitely excited to be here today. And let everybody know that Kansas State is the spot I’m gonna be at.”
On Klein becoming OC playing a role in his commitment
“It mattered 100 percent. I feel like I never really started and really getting to know K-State until Coach Klein took over the OC spot. Just being able to sit down with him and talk to spring ball, watch film, different kind of stuff like that really made a difference on where we’re at.”
On his relationship with Dylan Edwards
“I mean, we were dominant when we were younger. Just kind of having that off-the-field chemistry, I feel like that is oftentimes overlooked. I feel like it’s really going to translate well on the field. Just being able to talk to a guy like Dylan, whenever we get on the field, we’re obviously gonna have no filters, he can hold me accountable, I can hold him accountable and it’s always good to have a player like that on your team.”
On who he is trying to recruit
“Definitely Josh Manning and Ja’Kobi Lane. Those are two top guys I’ve been in communication with. I feel like I’ve built pretty good relationships with them. I thought we were gonna get Josh yesterday and then for some reason it At the end of the day, I’m going to try to get him and Ja’Kobi to come. But obviously, I want to get players around me and to make myself better.”
On being committed before the season
“I definitely think it’s a great thing for my senior season not having to worry about recruitment anymore, just kind of going out and be a kid one last time and just go play football. I really feel like it’s going to show on the field, not having any pressure or anything on my shoulders and just being able to go out and do what I do. So I’m really excited to be able to play my next football game being a committed player.”
Ten fan interactions
“It’s like no other. Every post, Twitter, Instagram, whatever it might be, I mean, I posted on Instagram and got 2000 more likes than any other post I’ve ever posted. So the fans are like no other, they show support, I mean, even at times, you wouldn’t even expect it. So just being able to have them behind me whenever I step into that stadium or playing my first game is going to be wonderful and a great experience. I can’ t even describe it in words.”
On his goals for his senior season
“State championship. I feel like we were this close last year, I mean, super close. I feel like if I would have performed a little bit better, then we might be in a different situation right now. So I’m definitely gonna try my best to lead this team, and get the best out of myself and the players around me so that we can be at our best whenever that time rolls around.”
On when he knew he wanted to commit to K-State
“So after I left on my official visit, I was pretty sure. Then I got down at Oregon and, they asked me, ‘really think about what you want in a program and then make your decision from there,’ and I feel like It really opened my eyes. It really didn’t help them out very much but it ended up helping Kansas State out and just kind of getting back and talking to my family, ‘Like, I can really see myself here.’ I can develop the way I want to develop and it’s all-around people that really care about you. So at the end of the day that was a really big reason why I chose Kansas State.”
On when he told the coaches he was coming
“It was right before I left for Elite 11. I think it was that Thursday before I left for the Elite 11. So not last Thursday, but the Thursday before that. I don’t know the date, but I could probably find it “
On playing with Dylan Edwards in college
“It’s going to be great. But I mean, it’s gonna go a lot past me and Dylan. We’re still young, we gotta get in, we got to prove that we really belong. I feel like jumping from high school to college So we don’t want to get too ahead of ourselves and we obviously have the rest of the class around us too so I feel like my biggest thing is just being a leader in whatever way I can and really influence the people around me so that I can get the best out of them and they can get the best out of me. That’s really what my mindset is going into college.”
On being “trending” on Twitter
“I mean, just kind of waking up and seeing on Twitter you know ‘Avery Johnson Day,’ or yesterday calling Fourth of July ‘Avery Johnson Eve,’ is just a great experience and it’s nothing like I’ve ever been a part of . I feel like, I wouldn’t have got something like this at a different college if I was going somewhere else. So I’m just happy to be a part of the Wildcat Nation and just ready to start building more relationships and I can ‘t wait to get on campus.”
On what the coaching staff told him
“I don’t know if it was anything they told me. But it’s really just they never pressured me. They never said, ‘Hey, you got to make this decision by this time,’ They always just told me like, you know , ‘take as much time as you need, we’ll always be here behind you,’ And there was never a day in my mind, I felt like I wasn’t their guy. I feel like sometimes at other schools I might get overlooked. Like they might tell me I’m their guy and I might not actually be. At Kansas State, I really felt the genuine love and connections with all the coaches and players whenever I got up there.”
On talking to Skylar Thompson
“Yes, Skylar really was just telling me, you know, ‘Go with what works best for you,’ I feel like a lot of times when people go through the process, they go to college, and they graduate. They love to have you at their alma mater, but he really just told me, ‘Go where it’s best for you go where you think is going to be the best fit because at the end of the day, you’re going to be the one in that position , not me,’ so just pretty much telling me Kansas State was a spot for him, but if it’s not for me, no love is going to be lost there it just kind of happened to be the bulk of our spots.”
On what he needs to work on
” I really feel like, just my leadership skills. At the Elite 11, I learned a lot more than I thought I would. I feel like I learned how to be a leader in a whole bunch of different ways. My biggest thing is just kind of leading by example and also being more of a vocal leader and getting the best out of my players around me so that we can be at our best week in and week out. Then football-wise, you know, just continuing to polish up my game, become more of a precise passer, and just doing the little things. I feel like now that I’m getting all the recognition and different type of stuff like this, I just need to polish up on a lot of little things and continue to get better each and every day and not get complacent.”