Mark Johnson of the VSS Panthers will play for the Eastern Washington Eagles next football season. (submitted image / EWU)

By Kevin Rothwell

College football

Panther now an Eagle: ‘Bulldozer’ signs U.S. university football ride

Jan 4, 2024 | 7:00 AM

After entertaining numerous offers from Canadian and American universities, Vernon Senior Secondary all-star Mark Johnson has signed with Eastern Washington University.

The EW Eagles, based in Cheney, Washington, play in the NCAA division one Big Sky Conference and finished 4 and 7 in the 2023 season.

The 6’5″, 260 pound Johnson, who picked up the nickname “Bulldozer” from teammates, was a critical part of the Panthers provincial championship team, playing right tackle, defensive lineman, defensive end, middle linebacker and long snapper. He won the AA Varsity MVP award for versatility.

“I am so proud of what Mark’s been able to accomplish as a Panther and look forward to him doing more of the same great things at the NCAA level. He always brought a champions mindset to everything he did with us. Whether it was; working out in the weight room, practicing, film study, coaching our younger players or his performance in games – Mark always brought his best and worked hard to maximize his potential. I think his new coaches at EWU see tons of potential in him and want him to be a cornerstone of their offensive line for years to come. I always tell my guys that move on to the next level that the cream will always rise to the top. I have no doubt that Mark will do that in the NCAA.” VSS Panthers Head Coach Sean Smith said.

Johnson was courted by at least several programs, each with its pros and cons.

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“What stood out to me the most at Eastern Washington was the culture that the team had. The guys on the team are very driven similar to how I am, and I feel like I will fit in well at Eastern Washington,” Johnson told Vernon Matters.

Johnson will suit up at offensive tackle and is looking forward to the environment.

“Historically the program has developed great players. The head coach, Aaron Best, used to coach O-line where he had 25 all-Americans throughout his time coaching O-line. They are also well known for having great receivers, most notably Cooper Kupp. (LA Rams WR). Their program has a lot of great leaders and they work hard to get better every single day.” Johnson added.

EWU has produced five NFL and seven current CFL players.