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3 hours ago
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Former USC and NFL standout wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson is far removed from his playing career, but that didn't stop him from peeling back the curtain about the current state of college football and how his journey would have been drastically different in today's era.
The former Super Bowl champion sat down with Patriots legend Julian Edelman on Edelman's podcast, "Games With Names," to discuss life after football.
Of course, Johnson would have been selling himself short without discussing the current iteration of NIL, where he would have fit into the conversation.
"Oh I'm staying at USC," Johnson said. "The reason is because we can pay."
Unlike today's era where players jump between teams, Johnson would the Trojans' then-staff to give him a desired figure. If Johnson had to guess, it would have been near $10 million.
"I'm a loyal person," Johnson said. "I'm not a bounce-around guy. I'm not going to leave because someone is offering me $4 million versus two in-a-half. I'm not going to jump around and run."
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Not even the likes of prestigious SEC programs could lure Johnson from walking away, regardless of how good they might have been at the time.
"Leaving USC to go where? To Alabama? I'm not going to [expletive] Alabama," Johnson said. "Me? Alabama? A brother from the West Coast? Oh hell no."
Johnson spent a year at USC after a brief community college stint at West Los Angeles. From there, he was selected No. 1 overall by the New York Jets in 1996 before eventually joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2000.
Johnson finished his career with 64 touchdown catches, guiding the Buccaneers to a Super Bowl victory to cap the 2002-2003 season.
Johnson eventually retired in 2007, as stops with the Dallas Cowboys and Carolina Panthers weren't as fruitful as those in Tampa.
Nevertheless, it appears Johnson would have done his own thing when it came to NIL and the Trojans.
And there's nothing wrong with that.
English (US)