MOREHEAD, Ky. -- Trenton Jamaal (TJ) Johnson is a senior defensive back for the Morehead State football program and a theater major from Acworth, Ga., which is about 30 minutes from Atlanta.

Johnson has been a contributor to the football team all his four years on campus and is a very committed and trustworthy teammate. In addition to his leadership on the field he is also involved in the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) as well as a team leader with Athletes in Action (AIA). He is an excellent student and a very well-rounded young man with a bright future. 

Around the age of 13 is when TJ was introduced to the acting stage. His mother, who is also in the acting industry, took him and his siblings to the set of a movie called The Sacrament, and in this movie they were extras. But being on the set was somewhere he felt comfortable. From then on, his love for theatrics grew, and the next year he participated in his first production.

In his freshman year of high school, he debuted his acting skills in Robin Hood. He continued to perform throughout the rest of his high school career, ending off with the play The 25th Putnam County Spelling Bee.

"It was my favorite because I loved everything about it, the cast, the scores everything," Johnson said.

He wasn't done with the stage just yet. He fell in love with theater so much he decided that it would be what he wanted to study in college. When TJ got to MSU, he joined the theater program as well as the football team.

When asked his favorite style of acting, TJ responded with ...

"Improv. Because there's no telling where the story can go. It is the collective creative minds of each performer cooking up with new content. It's not an easy task at all."

This could explain his love for classical productions such The Wiz, which he says is his favorite. This is a soulful adaptation of the famous movie The Wizard of Oz. This play featured big time names such as the late great Michael Jackson, Richard Pryor, and Diana Ross. This adaptation was written originally by William Brown, but this version was directed by Sidney Lumet.

After school TJ plans on making it to the big screen, taking his passion and knowledge from the MSU theater program back home to the Atlanta, a major player in the entertainment industry.

A lot of famous names in the entertainment and film industries honed their skills in the city of Atlanta, notably Tyler Perry who is an entertainment mogul.

He also said he would be more than excited to take the route to Broadway and perform on the big stage.

He credits his drive to make it to that stage to his mother, who had opportunities to perform on the highest levels but choose to raise him and his siblings. Johnson, whose infectious positive attitude and exuberant personality, is widely known and loved around the MSU campus. He can fit in with many crowds, which is shown by his major choice and his choice of sport. He will be graduating this semester and will truly be missed by teammates and classmates alike.

Faith in God is also a huge part of TJ's lifestyle. As mentioned he is a leader in the AIA program. He explained that it is imperative he says a prayer every time before he takes the stage and the field.

"I understand these are not my talents and gifts and that I must use them for Him," he said.

It is always bigger than self with TJ, and this is what will take him far in life with whatever he wants to do.

Johnson was in the latest MSU Theater Department production of Showtime! You can also catch him in action on the field on March 13 as the Eagles open their Pioneer League football schedule at Presbyterian in Clinton, S.C.