OXFORD, Miss. – There aren’t many Ole Miss athletes for whom the COVID-19 pandemic has hit closer to home than the Eli Johnson Center. So it’s no wonder he’s the first Ole Miss football player to retire from the 2020 season.
Johnson announced on Twitter Sunday night that he would not play in 2020. A senior at Lafayette County High School in Oxford who played all 12 games last season, Johnson said he planned to stay in the Ole Miss game and complete his master’s degree.
Johnson’s father, David, contracted COVID-19 in March. David, who reports on the recruitment of Ole Miss and football for 247 Sports, was hospitalized and put on a fan for weeks before leaving the fan later this summer.
On Sunday night, Johnson was the only Ole Miss football player to publicly announce his retirement from the 2020 season.
Without Johnson, Ole Miss returns to three offensive linemen who were given vital representatives last season. Tackle Nick Broeker and guards Ben Brown and Royce Newman are expected to return in 2020.
Ole Miss opens its fall 2020 calendar on Monday. The first game of the Rebel season is scheduled for September 26.
Contact Nick Suss at 601-408-2674 or [email protected]. Follow @nicksuss on Twitter.