After leading Stafford High to a stellar 9-2 season, Coach Jeffery Drugatz unexpectedly stepped down and just like that, everything changed. Nobody saw this coming.

On April 2nd, Gerard Johnson officially became the new head varsity football coach, leaving players and fans stunned.

Rising senior Nathaniel Lesslie said “I was shocked when coach Drugatz left, especially after our great season.” With the new season right around the corner, the question now is: can coach Johnson keep the momentum going or better yet, take the team to the next level?

One thing’s for sure: he’s bringing fire, focus, and a no-nonsense attitude. Stafford’s opponents better be ready.

Fast forward to April 8th — the first official day of off-season football conditioning held by Johnson.  But too Johnson, this wasn’t just about getting stronger on the field. “The way we structure conditioning is to test them mentally, said Johnson. “We put them in adverse situations now so they’re prepared for in game situations,” he added. 

 The day kicked off with a team meeting where Johnson laid down his vision and expectations for the season ahead, including an emphasis on upcoming college visits and how the visits will help the athletes in the long run.  “Early is on time,” Johnson tells them, setting a firm and tenacious tone for what’s to come. 

His new team mantra, F.E.B.U., which stands for “Forget Everybody But Us.  “This is what we will live by,” he emphasized. The new coach also introduced his new rules about how players will present themselves in school. 

“You’ll come to school looking presentable. No pajamas, no slides, no hoodies in the building. No ski mask covering your face,” Johnson distinctly said to the room. “We won’t give anyone a reason to stereotype you.” 

It’s clear Johnson isn’t just building a football team; he’s building a brotherhood that stands out for all the right reasons. Johnson wasted no time getting to work with a group of about 30 players. No football in hand, strictly focused on conditioning and agility. 

New coaches began to arrive during the intense workout while Johnson restarted reps when he felt like his athletes weren’t pushing themselves. “You don’t walk inside my white lines, that is the business area,” says Johnson. The new coach was all about accountability, calling players out for lazy actions. Johnson seems to have meant business. 

“I’m hyped to see what he can do for me as an athlete because he’s been there and went through the process,” Elijah Walker, a rising junior, said.

Johnson is a former division I athlete who played football at Old Dominion University for his first two years of his college career in Norfolk Virginia, and he later went on to play at Norfolk State University.

After attending the first workout one could tell that Johnson was about a rigorous work ethic and competitive edge. Johnson says “I’ve always had to compete ever since I was a child.

While leaving the field, Johnson emphasized; he’s here to build champions, to change mindsets and to demand nothing but the best from each player that wears a Stafford High School jersey.