"MoJo" making the most of comeback to bolster Clemson bats |
When Clemson’s Morgan Johnson arrived on campus in the fall of 2019, she had one thing on her mind: softball. Johnson, an All-State selection in the state of Georgia as a senior, chose Clemson and a program that didn’t even have a stadium built when she stepped foot on campus.
“When I came to Clemson for my visit, it just felt like home,” Johnson said. “The coaches were genuine and I felt like I wanted to be a part of that type of program.” The Georgia native enrolled in classes during the fall semester while preparing with her teammates and coaches for the upcoming 2020 softball season. The opening weekend of the inaugural season finally arrived and Johnson appeared in all four games of the UCF Black & Gold Tournament in Orlando, Florida, and even picked up her first collegiate RBIs in the Tigers' 19-9 win over St. John's. The weekend did not have a pleasant ending for the outfielder though. Late in the game, the freshman suffered a lower-body injury, and it was later determined that she had torn her ACL and would miss the rest of the season. Johnson began working with the Clemson training staff on repairing her knee and prepping for the 2021 season. “I had my surgery around February 18th, and I can’t lie -- I was a little nervous for the rehab process because I’ve never had an injury like this," Johnson said. With the freshman getting into the full swing of rehab last March, the world was once again turned upside down for the Georgia native when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Not only did Johnson now have to focus on her rehab, but she also had to do it back in Georgia away from the Clemson training staff. “When I went home, I was going to physical therapy about three times a week and every day I was doing something,” Johnson said. “My mindset was, in order for me to get where I need to be come August -- come when the season starts -- I need to be doing something every day to be bettering myself.” Johnson knows how difficult it was to rehab from one of the toughest sports injuries, then throw on top of that a worldwide pandemic, and not being able to leave the house. The redshirt freshman knows that those few months changed her for the better though. "It definitely made me the person I am today," she said. "A lot physically stronger, mentally stronger, and spiritually stronger. I hate that I had to go through that, but at the same time it bettered me." Fast forward to the 2021 season and Johnson and the Tigers are off to a fast start. In just her fourth at-bat of the season, the redshirt freshman sent a ball over the right field fence of McWhorter Stadium for her first collegiate home run. GAME. TIGERS. “It was like a breath of fresh air for me,” Johnson said she felt when she saw the ball go over the fence. “I’ve been working really hard to get back to this point and to see my teammates outside the dugout cheering for me was really cool.” ???? Good vibes only for #42. pic.twitter.com/SOzIF25jTp When asked what her favorite thing about the Clemson program was, Johnson stated it was the feeling of family you get when you’re around the team. “When you have that family environment and you can laugh and you can be yourself, that’s probably my favorite thing about team two (referencing Clemson's second season ever having a softball program)," Johnson said. Clemson head coach John Rittman knows how hard Johnson worked to get back on the field and is more than happy to see her back out there. "MoJo (Johnson’s nickname on the team) had such a tough season-ending injury last year and to see her work so hard and come back, just so happy for her," Rittman said. "You can tell by the team’s reaction that they’re all so excited for MoJo as well." Johnson started her first games of the season last weekend in the Tigers' four-game sweep of ACC foe Virginia, and the bat stayed hot at the plate. With the Tigers' second game of a doubleheader on Saturday and Clemson trailing 2-0, the Georgia native sent her second home run of the season over the fence for a go-ahead, three-run blast. Clemson ended up winning the game off of her sixth-inning heroics to cling to the ACC's top place in the standings. ACL injuries are one of -- if not the toughest -- injuries to come back from, and Johnson is an example of resilience in getting back out and contributing for the Clemson Tigers. "If you continue to work hard and keep your mind focused at what you’re trying to get to, the rest will work out at the end," she said.
Take us home, MoJo?? pic.twitter.com/sBKc3bd7mV
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