Jermaine Johnson’s draft night outfit earned a lot of looks for its vibrant color, but the attire contained a hidden meaning as well.
The inside of Johnson’s jacket included logos from the four schools he attended before being taken 26th overall by the Jets: Eden Praire High School, Independence Community College, the University of Georgia and Florida State University. The which attire was designed by Tom Marchitelli in Hoboken, New Jersey.
“I know I didn’t get here alone,” Johnson said on The Adam Schefter Podcast when asked about the jacket. “I had help every single step of the way. So that was kind of my way of taking everyone that I couldn’t take to the draft with me that contributed to me being here.”
Thanks for asking about the jacket I custom designed for @ii_jermaine for draft night, @AdamSchefter. Here’s a close up of it before it was shipped to him. https://t.co/UC5Y14yMFK pic.twitter.com/5U9OYW4sI6
— Gentleman's Playbook (@GentsPlaybook) May 10, 2022
Johnson’s winding path to the Jets included zero Power 5 scholarship offers because of his academics, a stint in JUCO where he tallied 96 tackles and 12.5 sacks in 20 games, and two years at Georgia with 6.5 sacks in 16 games. He then won ACC Defensive Player of the Year at Florida State in 2021 with 70 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks.
“I couldn’t just rep one place because I’m not here just because of one place,” Johnson said. “I’m here because of them all. They all played a huge factor, not just in my on-field development, but who I am as a man, as a person, as a leader.”
