Garrett Johnson: Staying Home

By Garrett Johnson, Men's Golf Student-Athlete

Mississippi State men's golf senior Garrett Johnson led his team with a 70.81 stroke average when the SEC canceled all 2020 spring competition due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic. The Kimberly, Ala. native has played in 32 consecutive team events for the Bulldogs, a streak that goes back to his 2016-17 freshman season.

We were just starting to play really well. I was playing some of the best golf of my career. In the final stretch of the season we were trying to play into our third straight NCAA Regional. No MSU men's golf team has ever done that.

But as we played our practice round for the Schenkel Invitational in Statesboro, Ga., we all knew things were changing fast. Our coach, Dusty Smith, was fielding phone calls. Other teams were heading home.

The event would eventually be canceled, but for the moment we had the option to stay and play. As the lone senior on the squad, Coach Smith allowed me to help make the decision.

"It's your team," he said.

Garrett Johnson

That's not how I wanted my senior season to end. More importantly, that's not how I wanted my team's season to end.

I was shocked at first. Then, as the days passed, frustration set in. For now, there was no closure, no answer to the "what-ifs."

In a cloud of uncertainty, I stayed focused and I kept practicing my craft. While questions of eligibility and the end of the season sat up in the air at that point, I wasn't believing any of the rumors until Coach Smith told me.

When the NCAA's decision to restore our eligibility finally came, it was an exciting day. I wasn't just excited to have a chance to play college golf again, but I was excited for all of my fellow seniors - the seniors on our baseball, softball, tennis and women's golf teams that also had their last ride ripped away.

Even in that excitement though, my decision wasn't made. While I wasn't ready to be done quite yet, I am still a senior. I'm almost done with school, so it's still a natural transition into a new part of life.

Garrett Johnson

During these times, I'm enjoying being able to sit back and chill a little bit. I have ways of practicing at home, and golf is fortunately a great way to stay active while being socially responsible during a pandemic.

There's still so much uncertainty. I don't know when normal life will resume, or even when I'll be able to see my teammates again. I don't know how practical a transition to professional golf would be for anyone after this pandemic passes.

Here are some things I do know:

First, this program has a chance to be really good. We were pushing each other to get better every day and on the cusp of another great season. I'm excited about the new guys coming in.

I have some great memories over the last four years.

Leading the team to a win at Desert Mountain last year with a win of my own stands out. We built on that with another team win at the Steelwood Collegiate Invitational this past fall. And, of course, getting into regional play the last two seasons was awesome. The team's reaction to the announcement every year is what we work so hard for.

I have loved living in Starkville. Starkville is what I call home.

Lastly, I love leading this team. I love leading this family. Each year it's a new team, a new family, going through new struggles, going through all of things that you don't want to do together, like real families do.

This year's team went through a lot. We hit some bumps in the road in the middle of the spring, and everybody kind of doubted us from there.

But that was a really good time for us to really get close-knit, and I think in those last events, from the Florida Gators Invitational to the Desert Mountain Intercollegiate, that was the closest team that I've ever been on. That's why we were able to perform the way we did. We were brothers, we were playing for each other. It's the things that people don't get to see behind closed doors, what we're doing at 6 a.m. workouts, how we're pushing each other.

I have had this past season to learn to be a leader. I love helping those guys get better, and I love how they are open to it.

However, I didn't get to lead us to our full potential.

I want to be there when this group achieves its goals. I want to be there when it celebrates another regional berth. I want to be there when it gets its next team victory.

I am grateful for the NCAA's decision to grant eligibility relief to student-athletes, and I am taking advantage of that decision to play one more year for Mississippi State men's golf. I'm staying home.

My progression as a golfer factored into this decision - I know that I'll be in a better position to play professionally after another season.

But if I've learned anything in the last four years, I know what we achieve as a team, as a family, will be the greatest reward.

Mississippi State University Athletics

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