Talia Johnson: The Competitor Who Chose Her Own Path

Bellflower’s #6 Proves the Best Players Don’t Wait for Permission

By DeJon Jernagin | CA-Recruits

The best athletes I ever played with weren’t the ones who had everything handed to them. They were the ones who saw something they wanted and refused to let anyone tell them they couldn’t have it.

Talia Johnson is that kind of player.

The Bellflower High School cornerback/wide receiver didn’t grow up in a family of football players or get discovered at some elite camp. She watched boys play football and thought to herself: I could do that too. Then she went out and proved it.

That mindset—the refusal to wait for permission or validation—is what separates athletes who make it from athletes who talk about making it. And at 17 years old, Johnson already understands something many college players still haven’t figured out: The game doesn’t care about your excuses. It only rewards your effort.

The Foundation: Love and Discipline

Ask Johnson why she plays, and she doesn’t give you some rehearsed answer about scholarships or going pro. She tells you the truth: “Football isn’t just a game to me. It’s an outlet from all the distractions in life.”

That’s real.

In a world where young athletes are constantly bombarded with pressure—social media, recruiting rankings, family expectations, peer drama—football becomes the place where none of that noise matters. It’s just you, your teammates, and the scoreboard. Johnson plays for the pure love of competition, for her team, for her family, and for everyone who believed in her when she was just a kid watching from the sidelines thinking she could compete.

That love of the game is what gets you through two-a-days in August. That’s what keeps you in the weight room when your friends are at the beach. That’s what makes you show up to beach workouts, gym sessions, and footwork training with Coach O from the ODM Panthers when you could be doing literally anything else.

“I separated myself by staying consistent and putting in work even when nobody was watching,” Johnson says about her offseason preparation.

That sentence right there? That’s the entire recruiting game.

College coaches aren’t looking for highlight-reel heroes who disappear when the cameras turn off. They’re looking for players who treat practice like a game and the offseason like a proving ground. Johnson gets it.

Speed Kills—But Only If You Can Control It

Johnson identified footwork and speed as her primary areas of improvement this summer, and she attacked them systematically: beach workouts for resistance and conditioning, gym sessions for strength and explosiveness, and dedicated footwork training to refine her technique.

Here’s why that matters: In flag football, speed without control is useless. You can be the fastest player on the field, but if you can’t sink your hips, plant and cut without losing momentum, or adjust your footwork to create separation, you’re not fast—you’re just out of control.

Johnson understands the difference between running fast and playing fast. She worked on both the physical and mental components of speed. As she puts it: “I could be the quickest on the field not just physically but mentally.”

That’s the kind of self-awareness that tells me she’s coachable.

And coachability? That’s everything at the next level. Johnson defines it simply: “Listening, learning, and always being open to feedback.” She respects her coaches and uses their advice to get better. No ego. No resistance. Just a willingness to grow.

That’s exactly what Coach Zach Carter wants in his program, and it’s exactly what college coaches will want from her.

The Mental Game Separates Winners from Almost-Winners

Football is a game of momentum, and the team that stays mentally tough when things go sideways usually wins. Johnson’s approach to adversity tells you everything you need to know about her makeup:

“During tough moments, I tell myself to stay calm, trust my training, and keep pushing. I remind myself not to get in my own head and that giving up isn’t an option.”

That’s championship mentality.

Too many talented players collapse when the game gets tight. They panic. They point fingers. They make excuses. Johnson does the opposite—she stays positive, keeps her teammates motivated, and gives 100% regardless of the score.

“My teammates can always count on me to give 100%, stay positive, and keep everyone motivated no matter the score,” she says.

That’s leadership. And leadership is the most undervalued skill in youth sports.

You can teach technique. You can improve strength and speed. But you can’t teach someone to care about their teammates or to fight through adversity with a positive attitude. Either you have it or you don’t. Johnson has it.

The Student-Athlete Reality

Let’s talk about something that gets ignored in recruiting conversations: You can’t play college football if you can’t stay academically eligible.

Johnson carries a 3.5 GPA while training year-round, competing in games, and managing all the typical pressures of being a high school student. She makes sure her schoolwork is done before practice or games. She manages her time. She stays focused in class.

That’s not glamorous. It’s not going to get thousands of likes on social media. But it’s exactly what determines whether a talented high school player becomes a successful college athlete.

College is harder than high school—academically, athletically, and socially. The players who thrive are the ones who already know how to manage their time, prioritize their responsibilities, and handle pressure without falling apart. Johnson is building those skills now, which means she’ll be ready when the competition level jumps.

What Recruiters Need to See

If I’m a college recruiter watching Talia Johnson for the first time, here’s what I’m looking for:

Effort. Does she give 100% on every snap, or does she take plays off when the ball isn’t coming her way? Johnson says she wants recruiters to remember her “hustle, attitude, character, and effort every play.” That’s the right answer—because effort is the only thing you can control 100% of the time.

Football IQ. Does she understand route concepts? Can she recognize coverage? Does she adjust on the fly or run robotic patterns? Her emphasis on playing fast mentally suggests she’s thinking the game, not just reacting to it.

Versatility. Johnson plays both cornerback and wide receiver. That kind of two-way versatility is valuable, especially in programs that need athletes who can contribute in multiple roles while they develop.

Team-first mentality. Does she celebrate her teammates’ success? Does she keep people motivated when things get tough? Johnson explicitly mentions putting the team first. That’s not lip service—that’s how she’s wired.

Coachability. Can she take coaching without attitude? Does she make adjustments? Johnson’s respect for her coaches and willingness to learn tells me she won’t be a headache in a college locker room.

The Honest Road Ahead

Women’s flag football is growing faster than any other sport in America right now. It’s headed to the 2028 Olympics. College programs are launching every semester. The opportunities are real and expanding.

But let’s be clear: The competition gets significantly better at the next level. The athletes are faster, stronger, and more technically sound. The playbooks are more complex. The margin for error shrinks.

Johnson will need to continue developing her footwork, her understanding of route concepts and defensive leverage, her strength to compete with bigger, more physical players, and her ability to process information quickly under pressure.

The good news? She’s already doing the work. She’s training with Coach O from the ODM Panthers. She’s hitting beach workouts and gym sessions. She’s focusing on the details that separate good players from great ones. And most importantly, she’s approaching the game with the right mindset: continuous improvement, no excuses, and unwavering effort.

The Bottom Line

Talia Johnson is what I call a competitor—someone who plays with heart, confidence, and purpose every single snap. She didn’t wait for someone to hand her an opportunity. She saw what she wanted and went after it.

That mentality matters more than any camp ranking or social media following. Because when you get to college and the competition is fierce and the workload is overwhelming and nobody’s patting you on the back anymore, that internal drive is what keeps you going.

Johnson has it. She’s put in the work when nobody was watching. She’s stayed disciplined academically. She’s been a positive force for her teammates. She’s remained coachable and hungry to improve.

College coaches who value character, work ethic, and team-first attitudes should have Bellflower High School on their recruiting map. Because players like Talia Johnson don’t just fill rosters—they change cultures.

The girl who watched boys play and thought “I could do that too” is proving she can. And she’s just getting started.

Contact Information:

• Name: Talia Johnson
• School: Bellflower High School
• Position: Cornerback/Wide Receiver (#6)
• Head Coach: Zach Carter
• Instagram: @therealtaliajohnson

DeJon Jernagin is a former professional athlete and owner of CA-Recruits, dedicated to providing honest guidance to young athletes and their families navigating the recruiting process.