What happened to Thomas Johnson? 'He shall return'
By Brent Zwerneman
April 5, 2014 Updated: May 8, 2014 11:56pm
Johnson's mother vows he'll return to play football ? but not at A&M. / AP
DALLAS ? On the final day of February, Texas A&M's football team sprinted out to its first workout of spring drills in College Station. At the same moment almost 160 miles north, Linda Hanks quietly ran a rake through the grass of her South Dallas home and reflected on the bizarre, surreal story surrounding her son, former A&M receiver Thomas Johnson.
Johnson, one of the nation's top recruits in the class of 2012, once called Kyle Field home ? and he made quite an impression on the A&M faithful through 10 games. When the freshman reached high to pull down a phenomenal catch against Florida on Sept. 8, 2012, in A&M's first Southeastern Conference game, ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit dubbed Johnson's leap ?Perfect timing!?
Two months later, however, Johnson became best-known for perhaps the oddest time in A&M football annals. Two days after snagging three key catches in a stunning 29-24 win over top-ranked Alabama on Nov. 10 in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Johnson simply disappeared an hour before an A&M practice. His cell phone went straight to voicemail, and two days later his mother pleaded through tears in her front yard and in front of TV cameras for the safe return of her son.
For its part, A&M took the extraordinary measure of listing Johnson as missing on AggieAthletics.com, in a desperate act to track down its lost receiver. Johnson went absent in College Station on a Monday, and police reportedly found him on a street near his old high school of Dallas Skyline close to 3 a.m. Thursday.
Johnson, who apparently left College Station on his own accord, never returned to A&M.
?When Thomas disappeared ? that was shocking,? recalled one of his better friends on the A&M team, running back Tra Carson.
?I didn't know what was going on at the time, and to this day, I don't really know what happened.?
That's because Johnson went silent, even to a lot of his close friends at A&M, and hasn't been heard from publicly since ? almost a year and a half later. His mother, however, offered good news for those who've been concerned not only with whether Johnson would ever suit up again, but with his state of mind.
?He's working out, he's getting in shape, and he shall return,? Hanks vowed.
Hanks added Johnson, who turns 20 on April 18, intends to play college football again, although not at A&M. Such motherly optimism prompted a pleasant sigh from Reginald Samples, Johnson's ex-coach at Skyline.
?Everyone loved Thomas,? Samples said of Johnson's high-flying days at Skyline. ?He's a great athlete and a great young man, and I've been praying he's able to get back into college with all of the talent he has. My heart goes out to him.?
Hanks, who said Johnson lives at home with her, declined comment on why Johnson left A&M, and Johnson declined comment for this story through his mother.
?Thomas is just a very private person, but he's always been a good kid,? Hanks said. ?Respectful, accountable and bright.?
A&M, out of respect for privacy for Johnson and his family and the desire to move forward, never again addressed his departure after thanking those who helped search for him ? including law enforcement's Texas Rangers ? and to those who offered well wishes and prayers for his safe return.
As for what Johnson, rated the nation's No. 3 receiver by ESPN out of high school two years ago, is doing these days?
?He told me he wants to play ball again,? Hanks insisted, adding she was thankful to folks concerned for her son's well-being. ?Football is in his blood. It's part of his DNA.?
Hanks declined to name any potential colleges Johnson might attend, although she said his A&M days are done. In the winter of 2012, new A&M coach Kevin Sumlin coaxed Johnson into switching his verbal commitment from the rival Texas Longhorns to A&M.
?Thomas is one of the best receivers, if not the best receiver, in the state,? Sumlin said on national signing day in February 2012. ?He's fast, has good hands and is a strong guy. We can move him around ? he's an explosive player.?
The 5-foot-11, 185-pound Johnson was a four-star recruit and looked every bit the part during the first 10 games of his freshman year. At the time of his leaving, Johnson had 30 catches for 339 yards only months removed from Skyline.
In Alabama's fabled Bryant-Denny Stadium, Johnson hauled in three catches for 22 yards, including when he wheeled and accelerated following a grab, causing Crimson Tide safety Robert Lester to grab for air.
Just before one of Johnson's catches on a drive that lifted A&M to a 20-0 lead over Alabama, CBS broadcaster Verne Lundquist intoned, ?Raise your hand if you saw this coming.?
Lundquist's line was applicable again two days later, when even Johnson's closest teammates were blindsided by his vanishing.
?That was a touchy time,? Carson said of the Aggies' collective mindset while an anxious search was on for a teammate. ?We were just shocked.?
The Aggies wrapped up spring drills Saturday, and had Johnson stuck around, he'd be entering his junior season perhaps as the ringleader of a wildly talented receiving corps, in one of the nation's top offenses. Should he play again, this past season likely would serve as a redshirt year, and he'd be a sophomore eligibility-wise entering this fall.
?Thomas is doing good ? he really is,? Hanks said. ?God has a plan for him.?
Regardless of his football future, the fact his mother said Johnson is simply ?doing good? should be a relief to fans who've wondered of his whereabouts since November 2012 ? and his outlook since disappearing two days after one of the most memorable games in A&M history. Speaking of history ...
?What happened at A&M? That's just something in the past,? Hanks said, pledging better times ahead for her son. ?That's all it is ? just something in the past.?