Cape alum, Chiefs signee visits school
Next stop: Kansas City.
When former Cape Coral High football standout Taurus Johnson gets there he plans to take the same approach with the Chiefs that has served him well to this point in his career.
“Compete,” Johnson said. “Same as I’ve done in high school and college. That’s what this game is about.”
Johnson returned to his alma mater Tuesday afternoon and spoke to current students, as well as faculty members, former coaches and friends. He thanked several of the individuals that guided him on the right path.
The 2005 graduate of Cape High, received his degree in sociology from the University of South Florida last Friday. He also spent four years with the Bulls emerging as one of the top wide receivers in the program’s history.
After being signed as a free agent by the Chiefs following the NFL Draft, Johnson leaves Thursday to participate in their rookie mini-camp, which runs Friday through Sunday.
Johnson waited patiently, for awhile, on draft day, but never heard his name called among the 256 players. Regardless, he’ll get his shot to play in the NFL.
“The coaches I talked to were telling me ‘don’t worry'” Johnson said, “but as the names kept getting called I was starting to get antsy.”
It’s a path Mariner High standout Earnest Graham successfully followed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Ultimately, Johnson had three teams contact him following the draft. He selected Kansas City over Tennessee and Baltimore since Chiefs receivers coach Dedric Ward had been in close contact with him through the entire process.
At Cape, the 6-foot-1, 204-pound Johnson played for late head coach Nick Gasparato. Another former coach and mentor Nick Libretto attended Tuesday and presented a football for Johnson to sign.
Libretto coached Johnson growing up, including as a freshman coach at Cape High.
“I volunteer to coach and have coached high school and Pop Warner for 24 years,” Libretto said. “T.J. is one of those kids you hope makes it and he actually did. He gave 100 percent during practice and when practice was over he kept practicing and pushing himself.”