He wasn't running up and down the sideline at West Side, but Toledo sophomore Jon'Vea Johnson still felt at home Wednesday night.

A 2014 West Side graduate, Johnson suited up for Toledo against Northern Illinois in the Chi-Town Showdown, a clash of Mid-American Conference teams at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago.

“I had a little feeling like that,” he said. “I felt more comfortable than usual. It was a homecoming. I knew my people were in the crowd. I just wanted to execute and play like I did when I played back home.”

Johnson learned about the game in the spring and couldn't wait to spread the word that he'd be playing at the home of the White Sox.

“I've been telling my family since March that I was going to be coming home on Nov. 9 and everyone had to get their tickets,” he said.

Johnson didn't grow up a Sox fan but had been to the stadium when it was called U.S. Cellular Field. He may not have recognized the park with no dirt in the infield and a football field stretching from the third base line to the right field wall.

Once the game kicked off, Johnson displayed the talent that made him an All-State receiver with 1,428 yards as a senior at West Side.

Johnson hauled in a 36-yard TD pass early in the third quarter that sparked a come-from-behind 31-24 victory for Toledo. He was the leading receiver for the Rockets with six catches for 129 yards.

Johnson improved his season totals to 34 catches for 700 yards and nine TDs, part of a breakout effort for the redshirt sophomore.

“He's got tremendous speed,” Toledo coach Jason Candle said of Johnson, a state champion sprinter at West Side. “What you're seeing now is a guy who's poured his heart and soul into it.

“When you combine a good work ethic with tremendous talent, good results usually happen.”

Those results stem from a greater focus on the finest points of the game, Johnson pointed out.

“It's just attention to detail,” he said. “Coverage recognition is one thing I've been building on because I wasn't too good at it last year. I've been focusing on those little things.”

Johnson maintained that he still had his hometown on his mind during the game, which was nationally broadcast on ESPN2.

“It's real crazy,” he said. “I'm always thinking about that, and it just motivates me. I'm from Gary, and now I'm a (Division I) athlete on a big stage. To have someone like me come out of that area is big for the kids back home.”

Dave Melton is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.