The University of Mississippi Athletics
Danielle Johnson Earns Sky Blue Roster Spot
4/6/2010 | Soccer
SOMERSET, N.J. - Former Ole Miss soccer star Danielle Johnson has made it through the final cuts and earned a spot on the 22-person regular-season roster with the defending Women's Professional Soccer Champion New Jersey Sky Blue FC.
Johnson, the Rebels' first ever four-time All-SEC performer, was taken with the 35th overall selection by the Sky Blue in January's WPS Draft.
The 5-foot-5 defender from Baton Rouge, La., is the second player in school history to make a professional soccer roster, joining three-time All-SEC Rebel Jennifer Soileau (1997-2000), who played for the WUSA's Philadelphia Charge. Ironically, Johnson and Soileau both came to Ole Miss from the same hometown and the same high school (Parkview Baptist).
The laundry list of awards and honors for Johnson during her career includes being the first Rebel to receive All-SEC and All-Region honors all four years. She was a Scholar All-America pick this past season and a Freshman All-America selection in 2006. She started all 81 matches of her career, which are the fourth-most starts by a player in school history.
Formed in 2008, the WPS has quickly become of the top women's professional leagues in the world. Its players include Brazilian sensation Marta and many of the U.S. women's national team players.
Among Johnson's new teammates in New Jersey are U.S. national team members Yael Averbuch, Tasha Kai, Carli Lloyd, Heather O'Reilly and Christie Rampone, as well as current University of Tennessee assistant coach Keeley Dowling and several other national team members from other countries.
