Did you know that David Johnson is a local from right here in the Quad Cities and is now one of the best running backs in the NFL according to many? This year, David has shined, and has shown people that he can be a great player by putting together an MVP caliber season in the NFL. Although Johnson shines bright in the big games and overcomes problems he faces throughout, it is nothing compared to what he had to overcome in his childhood. But no matter at what time of his life he was in, he always was striving to overcome his situation and become successful no matter what. David’s childhood was nothing close to stable. He was one of six children in his home and was always wondering where food would come from. David's mother, Regina, had to spend most of her time helping his sister because she had a rare mental condition that did not allow her to speak, read, or write. However, even though David did not receive as much attention, he found ways to keep himself busy. David played as many sports as possible trying to take the pressure of six kids off of his mom. Even as a kid, David worked. He worked on local farms detasseling the corn. He had a hard work ethic and never gave up hope that things could get better. David and his family moved to Clinton Iowa when he was only one year old. She was not around often as she bounced from fast food to fast food joint trying to provide for her large family. During his time in Clinton, David and his family moved around Clinton through multiple homes and struggled to have food at night. David knew that his mom was a very hard worker and tried to avoid any bad situations and get good grades. His situation motivated him to do better and to not let it define him. David’s life came to its lowest point when his mother was coping with her stress, and was arrested on alcohol charge. David was only in fourth grade. David thought that nothing could get better, but he was sure wrong. After his mother was released from jail, she went into rehab and started going to church, and they became Christians and found faith in the Lord. As his life started to get better, so did his athletics. He became a star for Clinton high school in track, basketball and football. He then received a scholarship from the University of Northern Iowa for football. Looking back on his experiences, David is thankful because they have shown him how to overcome hardships. Even though his situation was not good David is now one of the top running backs in the NFL and just put together an MVP caliber season with 1,239 rushing yards. As you can see, just because you come from a bad situation does not mean that you can’t overcome it and excel in life.
David at Clinton High School playing North Scott High School