Douglass Student Athletes Recruited by Top Colleges

By Dave Jordan, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Douglass high School is known as one of the best and most competitive football programs in the state.

Now, two of its teammates are making news on and off the field, as two football captains who are headed to top-tier colleges.

Douglass High School student Kaelon Johnson has proven himself talented both on the football field as a Trojan wide receiver and cornerback, and in the classroom as math whiz.

"I'm just trying to go somewhere and get a good education," Johnson said. "I just got accepted to Dartmouth."

Although he has had a pick of colleges and universities, the appeal of the Ivy League drew Johnson to Dartmouth.

"At first, I'm like, 'Oh, I might have to go to a small college and play football'," Johnson said. "But when I heard that...I'm jumping at the chance to go to Dartmouth."

Dartmouth wasn't just interested in Johnson's football skills. He's a math whiz who scored a 26 on his ACT exam.

Academically and athletically, Johson is in good company. His co-captain Destin Stewart has a 3.8 Grade Point Average and has been recruited by the University of Hawaii.

"It's a passing school," Stewart said. "I think the only school that passes like them is Texas Tech."

Trojan's head football coach Willis Alexander said he isn't surprised that his players excelled.

"When you put an expectation on young men and you let them know that we're not going to vary from it, I think those young men will respond to it," Coach Alexander said.

The players heard from the coach when they didn't meet expectations.

"He can he hard on you at times when you do bad things, but if he's not saying anything bad to you, that's when you need to worry," Stewart said.

They are life lessons both players will be taking with them to their new campuses next fall.

"Stay focused, don't let anything distract me," Stewart said. "Do what I have to do to get to the next level."

Coach Alexander credits the success of those players to their parents who are also Douglass graduates.