Noah Johnson is a senior on the Carterville Lions Football team. He has been playing football since he was in the 6th grade. He has always had a love for the game, has switched his positions multiple times, and learned to adjust quickly. He has great leadership skills and is always there to play his best and help out his teammates. We sat down with him following Carterville’s historic playoff run to dissect his career.

How significant is football to your life?

Football has been a big part of my high school career. It’s been a way for me to make friends as well as provide a way for me to relieve everyday stress and anger through controlled contact. Overall, I couldn’t imagine my life in high school without being a part of this sport and team. It has helped me through a lot. 

What do you say is your motivation to keep going in a bad game?

Our team does a good job of hyping each other up while in tough situations and we love to celebrate the small victories. This and realizing that this game is about playing for your team and not yourself are two things that help me keep my motivation up when having a bad game. 

What made you decide to start playing football?

I’ve always wanted to play ever since I was little. From watching professional players on TV to looking up to my cousin Ethan Grounds who played for Herrin when I was little. So it just seemed like something I wanted to do. 

Who would you say is your favorite NFL Football player?

I don’t necessarily have a favorite football player due to recent events in the NFL, but if I had to pick one it would be Peyton Manning. I used to look up to him when I was little as he was one of the top players in the league. 

What has football taught you about leadership? 

Football has taught me many things, especially a lot about leadership. I have learned to always have a good attitude no matter the situation. Also to look for the little things that people do and compliment them on or help them get better at. Also, it has taught me leadership isn’t always being the captain of the team. It’s being a good teammate and keeping people motivated to keep doing good. 

What do you and your teammates do to make practice enjoyable? 

There are a lot of things that we do as a team to keep practices fun. We love to make the small drills into competitions and cheer each other on when we get something right. Also, the Camaraderie that we share makes practice a whole lot better

Who would you say is your favorite team to go up against?

My favorite team to play is Herrin as the games are always so close and intense. Every snap is a battle to gain possession and impose our will on the other team. Also, those games are fun because most of us are good friends with Herrin players so it makes it that much better