Clinton Athletes in College: JaKayla Johnson & Kam Ruffin
By Datti Jinkiri
JaKayla Johnson entered her freshman season at Jones College on a mission. The 2020 Clinton High School graduate had finished her high school career with an MHSAA Class 6A runner-up finish as well as four straight playoff appearances. She carried that momentum into what turned out to be a phenomenal debut season at Jones College.
The 5’9” guard became a First Team All-MACCC selection, an All-Region 23 selection, and a Region 23 All-Tournament Team selection. She was also a WBCA Coaches All-American, capping off an incredible individual season.
Johnson led Jones to an undefeated regular season and helped the Bobcats capture their fifth-consecutive Region 23 championship. The team also clinched the number one seed in the NJCAA Division I National Tournament.
Though the Bobcats lost in the first round of the national tournament, the season was still a historic one for Johnson and the Bobcats. The team earned its first number-one ranking in school history during the season.
Johnson was a mainstay in the Bobcats’ lineup, making 17 starts in her freshman season. She averaged 15.8 points and 5.6 rebounds for the 20-1 Bobcats. Her 15.8 points per game were the second-highest on the team. Her 5.6 rebounds were fourth on the team. Johnson also shot 40.1 percent from the field and 80.2 percent from the free throw line.
Johnson scored in double figures 16 times last season. She scored a career-high 39 points (10-17 FG) in a win over Gulf Coast. In a season sweep of nationally-ranked Shelton State, she averaged 17.5 points.
Johnson crossed the 20-point threshold six times last season. She accomplished this feat twice in the Region 23 Tournament, when she scored 21 points against Mississippi Delta and 22 points against LSU Eunice.
Johnson was also selected for the NJCAA All-Star Game. The top 40 junior college players in the country are chosen each year to play in the game. The honor is a great one for Johnson, and she will be looking to follow her impressive debut season with an even better second campaign.
After two seasons as a football player at Ole Miss, Kam Ruffin transferred to Austin Peay State University. The 2017 Clinton High School graduate had entered Oxford as a heralded four-star recruit, but he’d seen limited action. A change in scenery was needed.
Enter Austin Peay State. The Governors were the defending Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) champions and had qualified for the FCS Playoffs for the first time in school history.
Ruffin made good use of his first year of action in Clarksville, Tennessee. In the shortened 2020-21 season, he featured in eight games and made four starts in the safety position. He made 25 total tackles, including five on two different occasions. He tallied five stops in the Governors’ meeting with Cincinnati, the American Athletic Conference Champions.
Ruffin also finished tied for the team lead with two interceptions. Both came in a road game against the number-seven team in the nation, Jacksonville State. Ruffin’s second-quarter and fourth-quarter interceptions helped the Governors upset Jacksonville State 13-10. The win was the Governors’ first win in Jacksonville since 1979, and Ruffin’s effort was good enough to see him named OVC Defensive Player of the Week.
The Governors finished the season with a 4-5 record and will be looking to improve on that mark in 2021. Ruffin had a solid season individual season and will be looking to have an even better second year. He will return to campus as a veteran member of the team’s defensive backfield.
