Kyler Johnson
Of the 36 touchdowns East High quarterback Kyler Johnson of Anchorage accumulated during his senior season, it was a play he made on defense that he’ll remember most.
Brought in as a situational safety on passing downs, Johnson flipped the state semifinal game on its head after his 101-yard interception return for a touchdown propelled the T-birds over archrival West for a 34-32 victory.
The play of the game came in the third quarter and helped East erase a 14-13 deficit, swinging the momentum back to the T-birds.
“That’s all that was talked about,” Johnson said of his pick six. “That changed the game a lot.”
Being a quarterback himself gave him an idea of what his West counterpart had in mind on the play, he said, which allowed him to jump the route and take it to the house.
“The game was on the line,” Johnson said. “They had all the momentum. They were driving down the field. It was 4th-and-5 and I remember coach saying, ‘Let’s go, Kyler. Make a play!’”
Message received.
It might’ve been his biggest moment, but certainly not his only highlight.
His big-play propensity was a hallmark of East’s championship season. He also had a pair of touchdowns in a 30-17 win over Juneau in the state title game.
Johnson finished the season with more than 2,536 total yards of offense and racking up 25 passing TDs showing off a rocket right arm and 10 rushing TDs on the ground to showcase savvy scrambling moves.
.@kyler10j is THAT DUDE!
Had a big-time senior year and helped lead the Thunderbirds to a D1 state title.
🎥: https://t.co/1YJbxGP614 pic.twitter.com/HDOmJXeWeR
— Zack Poff (@Zack_Poff_MP) October 25, 2021
This was his first and only season as a starting QB for East after having backed up former star Ja’Sem Atonio.
Johnson said he felt a ton of pressure to fill the shoes of a talented player like Atonio, who is now the starting signal caller at Dakota State University.
However, his player-of-the-year type season helped Johnson step out of his predecessor’s shadow.
“I’ve kind of been not known a little bit after not playing much last year,” he said. “I just had to come out and prove myself this year and put the state on notice that East has got another quarterback this year.”
Johnson called Atonio his mentor and leaned on him even after he had left for college.
“I would go back and watch his film from last season to see what he would do and how reacted to certain defenses,” Johnson said. “He helped me out a lot.”
Johnson didn’t grow up playing quarterback. He was a running back who switched to quarterback when he entered high school.
His on-the-job training was difficult at times, but with time he grew into the position. He learned being a quarterback has more to do with just throwing the ball.
Perhaps the biggest aspect is leadership.
“You can’t get down on people, no matter what happens,” Johnson said. “You have to always encourage your teammates.”
Kyler Johnson
And vise versa. Johnson was fortunate to have alongside him two of the state’s top-tier wide receivers in Deuce Zimmerman and Damarion Delaney.
There were times when their playmaking lifted his confidence.
“I would throw them a bad ball and they would somehow make the catch,” the QB said. “That’s just what they do.”
Johnson also credited running back Elijah Reed and East’s offensive linemen. “Gotta give credit to those guys.”
Together, East was a team of stars that aligned perfectly for a championship season.
Leading the way was Johnson, who is among the frontrunners for Gatorade Alaska Player of the Year.
“It’s a blessing to be in the race,” he said. “I was talking to my uncle before the season started that I wanted to win a state championship and be named player of the year. To be in the conversation is just an awe moment.”
To read about other Alaskans featured in the Prep Spotlight series, click here.