Herald-News Athlete of the Week: Joliet Catholic Academy’s Dillan Johnson

An outstanding weekend of wrestling by Dillan Johnson of Joliet Catholic Academy led him to being voted as Herald-News Athlete of the Week.

Johnson, who will play football at Wisconsin next year, defeated the No. 1- and No. 2-ranked wrestlers in the country by MatScout and won the 285-pound title at the Cheesehead Invitational. Johnson finished with 285 votes, followed by Minooka’s Micah Hamilton, Bolingbrook’s Jacob Nacional and Gardner-South Wilmington’s Addi Fair.

Johnson answered a few questions from Herald-News sports reporter Rob Oesterle and revealed he plans to be a one-sport athlete in college.

When did you start wrestling?

Johnson: I started playing football when I was in kindergarten, and I started wrestling a year or two after that, so I would say in first or second grade was when I started wrestling.

What do you enjoy most about wrestling?

Johnson: You can see improvement a lot quicker than you do in football. Say you work on hand-fighting at a wrestling practice. You will see that you are better at it in your next match. In football, you can work your butt off at practice, but if you don’t play much in a game, you don’t know if you’ve gotten better. In wrestling, it’s so mano-a-mano that you see results a lot quicker.

What is your prematch routine?

Johnson: Once the 170-pound match starts, I will start warming up, walking and doing some sprints. I listen to music while I am doing it and keep trying to get mentally ready to get on the mat. I go and pray before a match and try to keep myself loose. I don’t have a certain song that I have to play before a match. I just like to listen to music to focus.

Are you going to play both sports (football and wrestling) in college?

Johnson: I am going to concentrate on football. The seasons overlap, and it would be hard to go right from football to wrestling – especially since Wisconsin is almost always in a bowl game, the football season runs even longer.

What is your favorite meal?

Johnson: I really like Jersey Mike’s. Their No. 7 (turkey and provolone) with oil and vinegar, salt and vinegar chips and a sweet tea always fills me up.