The plan is for Keyshawn Johnson Jr., who left the team following his recent citation for marijuana possession, to eventually return to Nebraska.
However, his father and former NFL No. 1 overall pick — Keyshawn Johnson Sr. — says that won't happen until his son matures.
“One thing you will not do as my son is you will not embarrass Nebraska, you will not embarrass Mike Riley and you will not embarrass this family,” the elder Johnson told the Omaha World-Herald. “If you mature and you’re ready to resume your football career and academic goals, then Nebraska will be ready to embrace you.”
Johnson Jr. was ranked as the No. 49 overall wide receiver in the class of 2017, per the 247Sports Composite. The wideout enrolled at Nebraska in January, but he was hampered by an illness throughout the spring. Johnson Jr. was able to play in the spring game, catching one pass for seven yards.
The decision for Johnson Jr. to take a leave of absence was made in conjunction with the Huskers football staff. Nebraska coach Mike Riley coached Johnson Sr. during his days at USC, so they had a relationship prior to Riley recruiting the younger Johnson. Nebraska hopes that Johnson Jr. will return in January, but his father made it clear that will be the result of him earning it.
“There’s no ‘Mike Riley is good friends with Keyshawn, so his son’s automatically going to play,’" Johnson Sr. said "That’s not the game. That’s not why he went to Nebraska. He went there to work his tail off. To have an opportunity to be successful. But when you don’t do that — and you squander that — what are you going to do?
“You’re in college now. You’re an adult. You’re not a kid. You take a look at it from afar and let me know how important it is to you.