It’s looking like Bonner-Prendergast senior running back Mick Johnson has “that dog in him.”

It’s a term for those who exude toughness, writes Aaron Carter for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Johnson, with his 5-foot-9, 175-pound frame, proved that toughness recently when the Friars took on Roman Catholic. He took 148 yards and made four touchdowns, for a 38-30 win.

So far this season, Johnson has rushed for 417 yards on 53 carries and added 10 touchdowns.

“Mick is huge,” said Friars coach Jack Muldoon. “I call him a stone-cold football player.”

Johnson’s dominance showed early when, at age 4, he encountered his uncle’s pit bull, known for terrifying children.

“I knew the boy had heart because he just walked up and he said, ‘Sit.’ My dog stopped barking. He sat and bowed down to a king. All dogs know a king,” said Johnson’s uncle, David Bell.

Johnson was about the same age when he was first introduced to a local football coach.

He wasn’t even supposed to be on the field at that age and ended up playing against older players.

“Once they gave him a chance, coaches saw he could hang with the big dogs,” Bell said.

Find out more about Mick Johnson and the Friars in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on DELCO Today in October 2024.