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Duke Johnson – December 19, 2021 (Postgame)

Sunday, December 19, 2021
Postgame – N.Y. Jets

RB Duke Johnson

Q. I know you have scored plenty of touchdowns here in the past where the Hurricanes, but to go to school basically walking distance from here and now do it in the NFL, what did this all mean to you today?
DUKE JOHNSON: It meant a lot. Like you said, growing up in the area, just being able to play football and just play well here, it meant a lot but it meant even more because we got the win, so that helps.

Q. What was it like to hear those “Duke” chants from the hometown crowd within your first few carries at home with the Dolphins? This is the only franchise where that would be possible so soon in a career with the team.
DUKE JOHNSON: It just reminded me of college. It felt like my college days again. Definitely enjoyed it.

Q. I can’t help but wonder, given all that was going on with the COVID list and the uncertainty within your running back room, what was your mindset going into this game? I mean, how much were you thinking that the team really needed you to kind of carry the load today?
DUKE JOHNSON: I really prepare every week as I’m going to be the guy, regardless if I’m the guy or not, so it was just kind of sticking within my routine and just doing what I normally do and I let the cards fall where they may.

Q. It’s hard to believe that you’ve been in the league so long and this is your first game that you’ve had two rushing touchdowns in one game. I’m sure you can’t believe it either. Just talk about that and also cracking 100 yards. That’s something a Dolphin running back hasn’t done all year as well.
DUKE JOHNSON: As far as the two touchdowns in the game rushing, I don’t know. There’s not much to say for me because I know at certain times with certain teams my role was always different. My role was this today, but it could change tomorrow so for me, it’s just about not really looking at the stats and looking at the touchdowns or the yards but whatever it is to win and help my team win. That’s kind of what it would be for me.

Q. On one of the touchdown runs it looked like you were really kind of churning your legs. You could kind of smell the end zone. You were trying to power your way through. It’s funny. For a lot of your career people thought of you as like a third down receiving back. Can you talk about the approach you tried to bring into today’s game relative to power and that sort of thing?
DUKE JOHNSON: For me it’s just about doing what the team needed from me and whatever the situation asked from me. I was just doing it and doing it with everything I have and that’s just me churning my legs and doing whatever it is. On that particular play, coach put me in and the thing he tells me is just give great effort and I try to give great effort in whatever I do.

Q. You had some fans I think from Liberty City Optimist in the stands today and what were some lessons that you learned from your times at Hart Valley Park that got you prepared to be ready to play today?
DUKE JOHNSON: I think the biggest thing for me was at the time the Commissioner was coach Sam and he was a guy that believed in kids, he believed in people and he supported us. I think the biggest thing that I learned from Charles Hadley was support from top down because at the time no one really thought that those kids could make it to where we are now except for the Commissioner of the park and he pushed us and made sure that we was the best people as well as football players that we can be.

Q. I know we asked you this earlier in the week and you weren’t able to give us an exact number, but do you know about how many family and friends were here today to watch that performance?
DUKE JOHNSON: Still don’t know. I have no idea. I’m pretty sure it’s a lot. It would be very hard to give you an exact number, but I’m pretty sure it was a lot.

Q. Could you talk about, you grew up close to the stadium and seeing that all your life growing up, what it means to have a game like this here?
DUKE JOHNSON: It means a lot. I think for me it means a lot to do it, like you said, in the area I grew up, the college field I played on. I think the most important thing is that I did it and it led to a win because if it led to a loss, it wouldn’t matter as much as it do now.

Q. How far were you from the stadium growing up?
DUKE JOHNSON: My high school is maybe ten minutes up the road. I lived maybe 15, so this is kind of the area I grew up in in high school.

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