When the 2018 season came to an end, Tyler Johnson had a difficult decision to make. He could either declare for the NFL Draft and pursue a career in professional football, or he could return to Minnesota to improve his draft stock and enjoy one more season with the Golden Gophers.

It was a tough decision, but Johnson ultimately decided to stick around for his final season at Minnesota. He wanted to return to complete his college degree, as well as give himself another opportunity to show pro scouts what he’s capable of doing.

So it’s awfully fitting that, in Minnesota’s final game of the season, the senior wide receiver had one of the best performances of his career. Johnson hauled in 12 catches for 204 yards and two touchdowns, showcasing his speed, unbelievable hands and excellent route-running skills against the Auburn defense in the Outback Bowl. His contributions helped guide Minnesota to a 31-24 victory over the Tigers.

After the game, head coach P.J. Fleck got emotional talking about Johnson and his decision to return to Minnesota.

“He’s gonna be a great asset to any program. He works hard, he’s a team guy, he’s a culture guy. He’s unique, he’s trained in a very unique program and culture,” Fleck said. “The best advice I gave him is ‘be you and be the culture, and you will stand out like a sore thumb in a positive way in the National Football League.’

“I thank him, because he didn’t have to do what he did. And when you have players that do that, and that’s your second-year coach and they’ve had three coaches with three different cultures and he decides to stay and do that, he sets the example for so many. Because it was his decision. Nobody forced him to stay. He made an educated decision, got all the paperwork, didn’t let anybody get into his head and give him bad advice. He got the right advice from the people he loves, from the people he trusts, made a decisive decision, and said ‘this is my decision.’ And this just shows, when you get the right decision and he makes the right decision because it’s the educated decision, positive things happen.”

Johnson leaves as the all-time receiving yards leader and touchdown catch leader in Minnesota program history. He passed Eric Decker in yardage and Ron Johnson in touchdowns.

Johnson finished his senior season with 1,318 yards and 13 touchdowns. The Gophers were 11-2 on the year. Below is the video of Fleck raving about his senior receiver.