After impressing at the East-West Shrine Game and posting a blazing 40-yard dash at Maryland football’s Pro Day in March, heads turned in running back Ty Johnson’s direction.

And now, Johnson is going to the NFL. The Detroit Lions selected the Cumberland native in the sixth round, becoming the first Terps running back to be taken in the NFL Draft since Da’Rel Scott in 2011.

Johnson became the fourth player in Maryland history to reach 4,000 all-purpose yards, showing an explosive quickness on his first cuts in the backfield and on kickoff returns.

As a sophomore, Johnson led the team with 1,004 yards and six rushing touchdowns. He broke a 55-year-old record with 9.1 yards per carry that season. His production waned slightly the next two years as the running back room gained depth, but he still posted 875 yards as a junior and averaged 7.7 yards per carry in 2018.

He rushed for over 100 yards against Bowling Green, Minnesota and Rutgers this season and took a 98-yard kickoff return to the house at Michigan.

He missed three games as a senior with a calf injury, but he looked solid at his Pro Day, although some tightness after caused him to sit out on-field drills. He ran an unofficial 4.26 — scouts present didn’t share their times — and he ran a 4.33 laser-timed 40 during training earlier in the offseason.

Johnson didn’t receive an invite to the NFL Combine, though, adding a chip to the 5-foot-10 back’s shoulder.

“I know when I was watching the Combine in my hotel room down in Florida, I was just tapping my foot,” Johnson said. “Some of these guys I was like, ‘Come on.’”

But Johnson was quick to point out as he spoke with reporters after his Pro Day that he played special teams for Maryland, too.

“No one ever really talks about it, I was a starting right guard on punt coverage. And no one knows I had like four tackles on punts,” Johnson said. “I do a little bit of everything.”

Johnson will likely take that utility role with him into camp in Detroit, hoping to make the final roster and continue his career.

“I’m grateful for the opportunities I had [at Maryland],” Johnson said. “Now, it’s time to take the next step.”