He overcame health scare, graduated college, came home to finish hoops career at UM

Zach Johnson is known for his fashion sense, and always has been since he led Miami Norland High to back-to-back 6A state titles in 2013-14. But there was one shirt he needed to make his wardrobe complete; and he had been unable to obtain it until two months ago.

Finally, at age 22, after a journey that included a health scare, three successful seasons at Florida Gulf Coast University, and a degree in Legal Studies, Johnson earned the right to play the final year of his college career in a Hurricanes jersey.

He wore his No. 5 UM jersey for the first time on Sept. 12 for the team’s Picture Day. When he looked in the mirror, the reality set in. The kid who was overlooked by Miami coming out of high school is now a grad student expected to play a key role as a combo guard for the Hurricanes.

“Being from Miami, and putting on a jersey with that city name on it means more to me than I can say in words,” Johnson said Monday, as the team prepared for Tuesday’s home game against Stephen F. Austin. “Most people don’t get to play for their home town team. So, when I saw myself in that shirt, I was like, `Wow!’

He figured he would finish his career at FGCU, where he ranks fourth among all-time scorers with 1,344 points and tied the school’s single-game scoring record with 37 points against Lipscomb in the conference tournament last spring. But the lure of coming home, being near his mother Irose Johnson, and playing for UM in the Atlantic Coast Conference was too strong to pass up.

He chose to transfer to UM over Louisville, Creighton and Arizona. UM coach Jim Larranaga compared Johnson to Bruce Brown, who left for the NBA last spring.

“Leaving Florida Gulf Coast was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, even harder than sitting out my freshman year,” he said. “I was on the verge of being their all-time leading scorer, and getting my jersey retired, and I had such strong relationships there with coaches and teammates. But I wanted to prove I can play on any level.”

Plus, he was excited by the idea of reuniting with Norland teammate Dewan Huell, the UM forward who recently changed his last name to Hernandez to honor his mother. As it turns out, he’ll have to wait to play alongside Hernandez, who is sitting out indefinitely while the NCAA checks into his eligibility after he was mentioned in an e-mail related to the ongoing FBI investigation.

“Dewan’s going through a lot, and the best thing I can do is what I’ve done for years, which is be his friend,” Johnson said. “I let him know I got his back.”

Johnson knows about setbacks. Just before his freshman season at FGCU, an EKG came back abnormal and further tests led the team doctor to recommend Johnson sit out the year.

“It was a weird situation, a precaution deal,” Johnson said. “They wanted to make sure nothing bad happened to me, so they made me sit out a year.

“I had to deal with that adversity and not let it distract me from what I had planned. It was disappointing. But a big reason I went to Florida Gulf Coast was the coaching staff, and they were amazing. They helped me through every down day, made sure I was on the court with them, feeling like part of the team even though all I was allowed to do was shoot free throws.

“They told me, `Even if you can’t ever play again, you’ll still be here and have your scholarship here,’ and that meant so much to me.”

He was cleared the following season after getting a second opinion from a Miami cardiologist. Johnson went on to help lead FGCU to three post-season appearances – two NCAA and one NIT. Last year, as a redshirt junior, he was named All-Atlantic Sun First team.

Johnson said he’ll always be indebted to the Eagles program for their loyalty and skill development.

“I wouldn’t be the player I am without Florida Gulf Coast,” he said. “They deserve a lot of credit.”

Norland coach Lawton Williams is eager to see his former player up close. “Zach is explosive, scrappy, and a hard-nosed defender,” Williams said. “He’s got playoff experience, and he will be a leader on this UM team. He made his own decision to come home, and selfishly, I’m glad.”

This story was originally published November 12, 2018 at 5:12 PM.