Jan Johnson, a former walk-on who won the starting middle linebacker job for the Nittany Lions over the summer, has received a football scholarship for his efforts.

Johnson is also a member of the powerhouse wrestling program at Penn State. The linebacker redshirted his freshman year and saw the field for the first time in 2016 against Michigan. After a string of injuries and ejections in that blowout loss, Johnson made his way into the mix at the Big House before suffering a season-ending ACL injury. 

The Mohnton, PA native appeared only occasionally in 2017 before taking on a starting role this season. Johnson has shown a lot of ability in the heart of the defense in stand-out performances against Appalachian State (when he recorded 11 tackles) and Ohio State.

Johnson is responsible for 34 total tackles and an interception thus far in 2018. Congrats, Jan!