Spring Break
Freshman wide receiver makes early impact
Christopher Smith
Issue date: 10/31/08 Section: Sports
10/31/08 - Brandon Johnson-Farrell isn't the biggest player on the field at 5 feet 10 inches and 185 lbs., but he is certainly making a big impact for the University of Rhode Island football team as a freshman.
Johnson-Farrell didn't begin his athletic career as a football player. Instead, he was involved in a variety of other sports. His parents encouraged him to be involved in sports every year by playing soccer, basketball and baseball. Ultimately his father and his uncle got him into football.
"I started later than most, my dad pushed me," he said. "My uncle really talked to me about it, he played college football."
As a senior at Arundel High School in Maryland he earned first team all state honors. He also owns four Maryland public school state records for single-season touchdowns and receptions as well as career receptions and touchdowns.
But Johnson-Farrell still was overlooked and didn't receive much recruiting attention.
"Not a lot of other schools recruited me, mostly small schools around Maryland," Johnson-Farrell said. "I liked the program at URI. I thought Coach [Darren Rizzi] was a good person."
Johnson-Farrell is proving himself to be one of the top receivers and kick returner in CAA football. He is fourth in the CAA in receptions with 48 and third in all-purpose yards with 1,200 thus far.
Overall in NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision he is tied for 19th in receptions. He is the Rams leading receiver with 48 receptions, 395 yards and one touchdown so far on the year, but still remains modest.
"I think I'm doing all right. I'm still trying to get better and seeing what I can improve on," Johnson-Farrell said. "I'm not going to say I planned on having this kind of impact, but I planned on having an impact. I didn't know it was going to be like this."
He has made the adjustment to college life from high school grasping a balance between work and football.
"It's a lot different from high school," he said. "The workload is a lot more grueling, but the coaches keep us on a strict time."
Before games he spends his time listening to his iPod to get ready to play. For the most part he listens to Young Jeezy to calm his pre game nerves.
"You always have butterflies before a game until that first hit," JF said. Once you get that out of the way, you're fine."
He also happens to be a little superstitious and wears the same undershirt underneath his pads he claims he washes it after every game.
In addition to washing his lucky shirt, Johnson-Farrell enjoys hanging out with his friends, playing basketball and listening to music.
As for the future, he plans on riding out his football career as long as he possibly can. Like many freshmen coming into college he is undecided on what he wants to major in, but if football is not an option, then he would like to find a career elsewhere sports.
"I'm interested in anything involving sports, maybe becoming a sports agent or something like that," he said.
Johnson-Farrell didn't begin his athletic career as a football player. Instead, he was involved in a variety of other sports. His parents encouraged him to be involved in sports every year by playing soccer, basketball and baseball. Ultimately his father and his uncle got him into football.
"I started later than most, my dad pushed me," he said. "My uncle really talked to me about it, he played college football."
As a senior at Arundel High School in Maryland he earned first team all state honors. He also owns four Maryland public school state records for single-season touchdowns and receptions as well as career receptions and touchdowns.
But Johnson-Farrell still was overlooked and didn't receive much recruiting attention.
"Not a lot of other schools recruited me, mostly small schools around Maryland," Johnson-Farrell said. "I liked the program at URI. I thought Coach [Darren Rizzi] was a good person."
Johnson-Farrell is proving himself to be one of the top receivers and kick returner in CAA football. He is fourth in the CAA in receptions with 48 and third in all-purpose yards with 1,200 thus far.
Overall in NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision he is tied for 19th in receptions. He is the Rams leading receiver with 48 receptions, 395 yards and one touchdown so far on the year, but still remains modest.
"I think I'm doing all right. I'm still trying to get better and seeing what I can improve on," Johnson-Farrell said. "I'm not going to say I planned on having this kind of impact, but I planned on having an impact. I didn't know it was going to be like this."
He has made the adjustment to college life from high school grasping a balance between work and football.
"It's a lot different from high school," he said. "The workload is a lot more grueling, but the coaches keep us on a strict time."
Before games he spends his time listening to his iPod to get ready to play. For the most part he listens to Young Jeezy to calm his pre game nerves.
"You always have butterflies before a game until that first hit," JF said. Once you get that out of the way, you're fine."
He also happens to be a little superstitious and wears the same undershirt underneath his pads he claims he washes it after every game.
In addition to washing his lucky shirt, Johnson-Farrell enjoys hanging out with his friends, playing basketball and listening to music.
As for the future, he plans on riding out his football career as long as he possibly can. Like many freshmen coming into college he is undecided on what he wants to major in, but if football is not an option, then he would like to find a career elsewhere sports.
"I'm interested in anything involving sports, maybe becoming a sports agent or something like that," he said.
