By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

EDGARD – It shouldn’t come as a shock that in only his second year, Edgard’s Quinn Johnson is off to play in the Super Bowl.

Johnson’s Green Bay Packers went on the road and defeated the rival Chicago Bears at Soldier Field Sunday in the NFC Championship game, 21-14, to punch a ticket to the big dance.

It’s just the latest notch on the belt of the bruising fullback, who has experienced the highest of team accolades at every level of sport.

Johnson won a title in Biddy basketball. His local All-Star team traveled to Wichita, Kan., to play nationally.

His team won the junior high championship within St. John the Baptist Parish in basketball.

And that’s even before you get to his bread and butter — football. He won a championship in Little League. He helped West St. John secure the Class 2A state championship during his run with the Rams at the prep level. He moved on to LSU, where he and the Tigers secured the BCS National Championship.

Now, he can count himself among the NFC Champions in history. In another week, he may add one more trophy.

“It’s a great feeling (to have accomplished all of it),” said Johnson. “But at the same time, my career’s not over. I’m just trying to accomplish all that I can, as long as I can. I just want to keep on going.”

Former West St. John football coach and current Vandebilt Catholic coach Laury Dupont remembers Johnson fondly. He said his success comes as no surprise.

“The biggest thing about Quinn Johnson is that he was a tough kid. From day one, he was the toughest, strongest kid on our team,” he said. “He was the man for us. He brought that linebacker mentality on both offense and defense.”

Johnson played linebacker and running back for West St. John — the latter position the source of a fond memory in Dupont’s mind of his former player’s dominance on the gridiron.

“We played Jewel Sumner one year, and (running back) Patrick Jackson got hurt and had to leave the game. So we gave it to Quinn. And he just pounded that team. He was a man among boys, running everyone over,” said Dupont.

“We were blessed to have him here. And he deserves to be where he is today. It’s been a storybook type of deal. He’s got a long career ahead of him in football, too,” he added.

West St. John track and field coach Martin Sylvain has known Johnson since he was just 7 years old, coaching him since then in Biddy basketball, junior high basketball and football.

Sylvain echoed Dupont in that Johnson was always one of the hardest workers on his teams and a physically imposing presence.

“As a power forward he was big, as a running back he was big,” said Sylvain. “He was strong, quick and overall just a great athlete. And you know, he never missed practice. He did as he was told, and he always asked about ways he could get better. Those are the kinds of guys who keep having success.”

Sylvain said there were tears in his eyes when he saw Green Bay clinch the victory against Chicago.

Said Sylvain, “I sat back with my wife and just said, ‘Wow, this is Quinn Johnson, who I just talked to two days ago, and he’s going to the Super Bowl. I’m just so proud of him.’”

West St. John athletic director Robert Valdez said he sees Johnson often in the Edgard community and around the school and calls him a role model for local youths.

“He’s the perfect posterchild for a small community like ours, someone kids can look to and say, ‘Here’s a guy with the same opportunities that I have. Maybe I can reach that,’” said Valdez.

Valdez said that when it comes to consistent winners and successes in life, it often comes down to a specific blueprint.

“First, you have to have God-given ability. Second, you have to be able to maintain the commitment to stay on course. Balancing your athletic achievements with academics. And third, it comes down to passion. You have to have it in everything you do. It’s what successful people have, and Quinn has all of it,” he said.

When Green Bay stopped Chicago on its final possession, the always-focused fullback allowed his mind to run free finally.

“It was just a crazy feeling. Hold up, we’re going to the Super Bowl?” said Johnson. “It’s just unreal.”

Johnson said before serious Super Bowl preparations began, his team looked at Steeler specifics about personnel and at film from the game between the teams last season: a wild 37-36 Steelers win that came down to a Ben Roethlisberger to Mike Wallace touchdown connection as time expired.

In that game, Green Bay scored 22 fourth- quarter points, mounting four different comebacks from deficits of at least six points.

Johnson said he expects another back-and-forth affair — and a physically taxing one.

“Especially from my standpoint,” he said. “Their defense is so physical.”

But while he admits the feeling of reaching the Super Bowl is indeed a dream come true, he’s staying grounded. Success hasn’t come to him by accident; his mindset is that the job is not yet done.

“There’s still a football game to win,” said Johnson. “Right now, I’ll just let everyone else enjoy it. I will once we get past Pittsburgh.”