Uncharted territory: Without a pre-established candidate, Southern continues search for next round of leaders

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — For the past eight months, almost every time someone talked to Southern's Demerio Houston about the 2018 football season, he got the same question.

What’s it like to follow Danny Johnson?

Houston didn’t take offense. It’s a natural comparison to make. Houston is about to fill Johnson’s superstar shoes at cornerback this season. If anything, he tries to look at it as a compliment to replace a player who was such a big part of his development.

But the pressure is there. It’s always there.

Not just to replace a someone who intercepted 18 passes in four seasons or became the first Southern football player to be invited to the Senior Bowl in 23 years, the player who returned punts and caught a touchdown on his first play as a wide receiver in college.

The real pressure is to be the leader Johnson was.

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