Don’t be fooled by her size. Crystal Johnson, a rising junior at Plant City High, is a talented multi-sport athlete. Johnson is a varsity cheerleader and flag football player at PCHS. She also excels in the classroom and currently is dual-enrolled at Hillsborough County Community College this summer.
How long have you been cheering?
I just started my freshman year and have been doing it since.
What got you into it?
I always wanted to cheer since I was little, but when I was younger, I always did soccer, basketball and flag football, so I just stuck with those. When I got to high school, I figured I’d try it out.
What was your first impressions of cheering?
It was a lot more fun than I thought it would be. I really got into it and have created some great friendships through it.
What do you like about being a flyer?
It’s fun, and I like it, but it definitely takes a lot of trust, because it can be scary being up there.
How long have you played flag football?
I played since I was 7 in the rec league, and I was just always good at it. The referees would always call me “Smurf,” because I was so little and so fast. I just loved it, so I knew I wanted to tryout when I got to high school.
What position do you play?
I’m a rusher.
What do you like about that position?
I like that I’m able to control what happens. Everybody works together, but you can still make a difference with your play, and I like how that works.
When did you start with your dual enrollment?
I just started this summer.
How has that been going so far?
It’s really good to be able to do that, because I can already get a year-and-a-half of college out of the way by the time I get to college. I wish I started it earlier, but I heard of it through a friend and just thought that it would be a good thing to do.
What’s your goal for college after you graduate?
I know I want to do something in the field of psychology, because I think it’s really interesting how the mind works. Actually, one of my HCC classes got me more interested in that. It’s something really interesting to me, and something I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of.
