Outlaw Joins Riverhawks at NSU

Marlow senior Josiah Johnson signed a Letter of Intent to play tight end for Northeastern State University football this fall, capping an athletic career that includes a State football championship and state basketball semifinal team, as well as individual awards. Johnson is a two-sport All-State athlete and was named as the Class 3A Boys Basketball Player of the Year by the Oklahoma Basketball Coaches Association.

Johnson will join three Outlaw teammates, Kyle Wilson, Chance O’Neal, and Will Bergner, on the NSU team after making the choice to continue his football career and leave basketball behind.

“I thought about it, prayed about it, and talked to my family,” Johnson said. “It was just the right decision for me.”

Johnson added that having teammates at the same school would benefit all of them.

“It’s going to help a lot,” Johnson said. “They’re going to keep me on top of things, I’m going to keep them on top of things, hold each other accountable. We’re just going to play through the season and hopefully win a National Championship.”

The Outlaw credits his Marlow coaches with encouraging him to reach for a football career after graduating.

“They always told me how good I could be and how much more I could be,” Johnson said. “They always told me that if I focused hard, I could get a scholarship. They gave me a bunch of confidence and motivated me to get here.”

Johnson plans to pursue a degree in the healthcare field with a goal to become a chiropractor.

MHS senior Josiah Johnson was joined by his Outlaw teammates on May 4 as he signed a Letter of Intent with Northeastern State University. Photo by Elizabeth Pitts-Hibbard/The Marlow Review