Get To Know: Elsa Johnson

Although she lists her hometown on the roster as Jackson, Mississippi, Elsa Johnson could choose from a number of cities. She's lived in Florida, Mississippi, Ohio, and she even spent two years overseas in Ireland.

And those are just the places she's lived. Her passport includes many more. While living in Ireland, the Johnson family took advantage of being so close to a lot of other European nations. She visited Germany, Spain, Greece, France and England during those two years.

The journeys started early. Johnson was so young when she started traveling that she does not even recall getting her first passport, but she has kept every one of her previous passports as a memento, marked with stamps from the countries she's visited.

For some travelers, it can be difficult to decide on their favorite destination, but for Johnson, that choice was easy.

"I love Greece the most out of all the places we ever went," she said. "I went to Santorini, and the ocean there is just so clear and pretty. You have to go if you ever get the chance."

Somewhat fittingly, Mississippi State is not Johnson's first stop in the college soccer world either. She comes to Starkville from Xavier where she said she learned to have a mindset focused on improving daily. That was something she hoped would continue to be a part of her experience wherever she ended up.

"I think the passion [Coach Zimmerman] has for the game really helps," she said. "He really pushes us, but not to the point of breaking."

A commitment to daily improvement is embedded in the Bulldogs' culture, and it was something that resonated with Johnson. Having played in Mississippi some in her high school years, she'd had interactions with MSU head coach Nick Zimmerman years before she entered the transfer portal. That made her decision easier.

"A lot of it was the familiarity," she said of her choice. "The connection I made with Coach Nick since he started recruiting me in high school was big, especially since he stepped up as head coach."

Mississippi State University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Elsa Johnson

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