Captain Chronicles | 'Johnny': Newton Still Has 'A Lot to Prove' In Fourth Season at Illinois

Legacy.

It’s a word that is constantly on Jer’Zhan Newton’s mind. When he walks into Smith Center every day. When he suits up for the Orange and Blue. When he talks to his family. When he interacts with fans and the community.

Newton says his legacy is incredibly important to him, and it was a big factor behind his decision to return to Illinois in pursuit of his dreams of eventually becoming a first-round draft pick.

“My legacy is one of the most important things to me,” Newton said. “When I was thinking about declaring, Coach talked to me. He was like, 'To mark your legacy at Illinois, all you've been through, all you've done these past few years, you've just been stacking up a good resume,' and I take that into consideration. I do have a good legacy at the school, but I could have a brighter future if I return."

Football became a central piece of Newton’s identity from an early age. Following in the footsteps of his grandfather, father, uncles, and three older brothers, “Johnny” Newton began playing the sport when he was 5, enrolling in flag football before being old enough to participate in tackle football two years later.

Playing offensive line, running back, and linebacker during the early years of his football career, Newton eventually became a talented defensive line prospect. Despite being the second-youngest of five brothers, Newton was the biggest of the bunch. The competitive nature of childhood in a household full of boys has shaped the entire Newton family, especially Johnny.

“There was always a lot of tension, a lot of playing around, a lot of competition,” Newton said. “We were competing over the smallest stuff, like who could eat food the fastest, who could drink the fastest. It was just boys growing together. I feel like the competition aspect took us through life and made us who we are today.”

Newton’s mother, Jovita Rich, initially expressed some concerns about her children playing football, but she quickly saw how much it meant to her husband and kids. Learning the signals and plays while cheering from the sidelines, Rich became a big supporter of her kids and the sport, and she recalls identifying Newton’s standout abilities early on in her son's youth football career.

“Johnny fell in love with it immediately. They all loved it, but Johnny was really into it,” Rich said. “He's always stuck out, whether it was his size or the positions he played, especially running back. You would always see everyone trying to tackle him, and Johnny would be dragging three players. They were still holding on, trying to get him down, and he would still be running. Everyone would love to see it.”

Newton recognized his potential once he entered third grade. Much bigger than the rest of his peers, he made his presence felt any time he stepped foot on the field while falling in love with the sport in which he has since become nearly unstoppable .

“I was eight years old, but I'd be playing on a 10U team,” Newton said. “I'd be dominating at that age group. I knew I had to be something because all the kids in my grade were playing two divisions below me. I knew if I was dominating at this level, then I might be something special.”

Newton continued playing football through high school, though he also participated in both basketball and track and field. Knowing he would likely not be able to have a future in basketball despite standing at 6-foot-2, Newton fully embraced the physicality of football.

Receiving interest from several Power-5 programs, Newton earned an offer from Illinois late into his senior season, a campaign prior to which he had broken his leg. Despite being in significant pain, Newton tried to continue to play, partaking in two games before his mom ultimately had to step in.

“I was like, 'Johnny, there's something wrong with your leg.' He kept saying, 'No, Mom, I'm fine,'” Rich said. “Then, he'd go out, run a couple of plays, and then he would start limping back off the field. I was like, 'Johnny, something's wrong with your leg.' He would just push it off because he did not want to stop playing football. He did not want to sit out. When we took him to get an MRI, they were like, 'Yes, his leg is broken.' He did everything he could to heal, between therapy, doing extra workouts to get his legs stronger and better so he could make it back for playoffs."

After watching his older brothers go through the recruiting process, Newton knew what to expect. With his two oldest brothers, twins Jervon and Jershaun, attending West Florida and third-oldest brother, Jerjuan, enrolling at Toledo, Newton became the fourth child in his family to play college football. Less than two weeks after taking an official visit to Illinois, Newton committed to the Fighting Illini on Dec. 18, 2019.

Newton quickly made an impact in Champaign. After debuting against Wisconsin in his first college game, Newton stepped into a starting role two contests later, earning his first start against Minnesota on Nov. 7, 2020. The Florida native became the 18th true freshman in program history to start on the Illini defensive line.

Playing in all eight games during the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, Newton earned All-Big Ten honors for the first time in his career the following year. Establishing himself as a mainstay on the Illinois defense, Newton took his game to the next level last season in one of the greatest individual campaigns in program history.

Donning the “4” jersey for the first time since little league football, Newton set career marks in nearly every statistical category, securing consensus All-Big Ten and All-America honors as a member of the nation’s No. 1 scoring defense.

“I had a feeling coming into the season that it was going to be a really good one,” Newton said. “I had a really good spring and fall camp. My coaches said the same thing. I really stood out. I took that next level that I needed, so I knew coming into the season, I was going to have high hopes for myself. To have the year I had last year, it was unexpected. I never set goals before games or before the season; I just come out every week and try to attack every game.”

Entering the 2023 campaign, Newton was named to several preseason watch lists, including the Lombardi Award, Nagurski Award, and Walter Camp Award. Though he deletes social media from Monday through Saturday each game week, he keeps tabs on his national status via his family, who often send him posts about any hgh-profile recognition he may have garnered.

That attention provides further fuel to the fire as Newton looks to hear his name called in the first round of the NFL Draft once his college career comes to an end.

“When I see things like after the Penn State game when I was the highest graded, I'm like, ‘Oh, that's cool. Let's do that again next week,’” Newton said.

For the first time in his career, Newton was named a team captain ahead of his fourth season at Illinois. Voted to serve as a leader by his teammates, Newton is honored to represent the Illini in an elected position moving forward.

He views it as one of the biggest pieces of his legacy, which he continues to create and build on as he dons the Orange and Blue in 2023.

“Being a captain means a lot to me, not just on the field, but off the field, leading my teammates in the right direction,” Newton said. “Seeing that they see me as a leader on the team, more than just a football aspect, means a lot to me. My voice is respected throughout the locker room. Whenever I say something, I know my teammates listen to me."