After leading Lafayette Christian Academy to a No. 124 in the High School Football America 300 national rankings, powered by NFL Play Football, quarterback Ju’Juan Johnson is named the Gatorade Louisiana State Football Player of the Year.
The 5-foot-11, 195-pound senior quarterback passed for 3,628 yards and 41 touchdowns this past season, leading the Knights (11-3) to the Division II Select State Tournament title game. Johnson also rushed for 1,509 yards and 25 scores. Recruited to play defensive back in college, he concluded his prep football career with a state-record 14,365 yards of total offense along with 171 touchdowns.
Johnson participated in a service-mission trip to Mexico last summer, where he helped with small construction projects. He has volunteered locally as part of multiple community service initiatives with his church. “Ju’Juan is one of the hardest-working kids that I’ve ever been around,” said Hunter Landry, head coach of Lafayette Christian Academy. “The effort you get from him Friday is the effort we get from him Monday through Thursday. He practices just like he plays.”
Johnson has maintained a B average in the classroom. He has signed a National Letter of Intent to play football on scholarship at Louisiana State University this fall.
Gatorade news release
The award, which celebrates the nation’s top high school athletes for excellence on the field, in the classroom and in the community, distinguishes Johnson as Louisiana’s best high school football player. From CEOs and coaches to star athletes, Gatorade Player of the Year winners showcase the power of sport, touting an all-star group of alumni that includes Emmitt Smith (1986-87, Escambia High School, Fla.), Peyton Manning (1993-94, Isidore Newman School, La.) and Jackson Arnold (2022-23, John H. Guyer High School, Texas).
