With 12 seconds remaining, Alabama State lined up for a 54-yard field goal, looking to hand Florida A&M its fifth consecutive loss two weeks ago on Oct. 9.
The Rattlers had already stormed back and taken a late 28-27 lead, but allowed Alabama State to drive the football into field goal range for kicker Andrew Abu-Akel, a transfer from FAMU. He entered the Week 7 Southwestern Athletic Conference game 8-for-9 in field goals.
The Rattlers needed something to happen to save the win.
“It was really a thrill,” FAMU defensive back and special teams star Johnny Hutton III told the Tallahassee Democrat. “It snapped, I took off.”
Hutton flew past the Alabama State wingback on the edge, got his hands in the air, and blocked his former teammate’s kick to earn first-year FAMU head coach Quinn Fordham Gray Sr. his first-ever SWAC win, 28-27. After securing the block to seal the victory, Hutton attempted to hit a cartwheel to celebrate, but it was an epic fail as he tripped on the feet of teammate Anthony Baxter.
“It’s all down to how good my rep is,” Hutton said. “Off the take off, I got to get that good explosion off the line, chop that wing’s arm, get around, and throw that arm up. We get countless reps in practice. Practice is all it is.”
Hutton credited teammate Dion Villiers for tipping him off pre-snap on the field goal placeholder’s timing being off. The redshirt junior almost had another block in FAMU’s 27-17 loss to Jackson State, but a delay of game penalty was called before the play went live.
“That result comes from the way he prepares,” said FAMU special teams coordinator Elijah Haggard. “His roommates will tell you when he’s walking around a corner of an apartment building, he’s sticking his hands out, pretending like he’s blocking a kick. It’s a belief and mentality, and the little things.”
Hutton’s field-goal blocking skills aren’t innate.
It actually stems from serving as a primary scoring option and primary attacker on the volleyball court.
FAMU’s Johnny Hutton introduces volleyball flair to the football field
Hutton is a Cleveland, Ohio, native.
In high school, he played varsity volleyball alongside football at St. Edward High School, an all-boys Catholic school in the nearby Lakewood area.
“I can’t say I’ve had too many former volleyball players on the roster,” Haggard laughed. “If there were, I didn’t know about them.”
Hutton’s chemistry saw him jump and touch the ceiling, and recommended him to pick up volleyball as a secondary sport.
“Ended up loving it,” Hutton relived his high school days.
Hutton primarily played outside hitter and all-around, except for libero. As a senior, the 2023 graduate led the St. Edward Eagles with 76 total kills and 3.2 kills per set.
It landed him some college volleyball recruiting looks and opportunities to play on the club level and travel nationally for matches.
“Nobody could hold me,” Hutton discussed his volleyball skills. “We’re going to Cali, I’m coming down to Orlando. I was tearing it up everywhere.”
Hutton shares a volleyball connection with Gray, FAMU’s head coach.
Gray said that he, too, grew up playing volleyball in Fort Lauderdale, helping his middle school team win a county championship. The coach added that some South Florida areas didn’t offer middle school football. So athletes would use volleyball as their fall sport.
“We joke about that quite a bit,” Gray said. “Fortunately for me, I was able to turn that thing into a little bit of a championship situation my eighth-grade year.”
FAMU football's Johnny Hutton III is key to the Rattlers' special teams unit
Hutton joined FAMU during the 2025 season. He transferred from NCAA Division II PennWest Clarion.
The 6-foot, 173-pounder didn’t play last year and has picked up sparing playing time on the Rattler defense, but ke.
“I don’t care what it is. Being on the field, being a part of a football team, I’m going to give it my all,” Hutton said. “Special teams, offense, defense, doesn’t matter what it is. I know if I give it my all, it’s going to pay off.”
Hutton has carved out a role on the Orange and Green as a special-teams all-star on a unit that can swing a football game for better or worse, as the Rattlers have repeatedly learned this season.
“Johnny has been tremendous for us on special teams,” Gray said. “He does a great job of making it his own. You’ve got your guys that are your core guys for special teams, and he’s definitely one of those guys that we rely on in those situations. Johnny has really come on strong as of late ― a very integral piece for us. We expect the best for him.”
FAMU (2-5, 1-2 in SWAC) hosts its sold-out homecoming football game this Saturday against the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions (3-3, 1-2 in SWAC).
Kickoff is at 3 p.m. on Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium. HBCU GO will televise the game, and 96.1 JAMZ will provide radio commentary on Tallahassee radio airwaves.
The Rattlers look to move their seven-game homecoming win streak to eight.
Florida A&M (2-5, 1-2 in SWAC) vs Arkansas-Pine Bluff (3-3, 1-2 in SWAC) ― Week 8, SWAC
- When: Saturday, Oct. 24 at 3 p.m.
- Where: Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida
- TV/Radio: HBCU GO, 96.1 JAMZ
Florida A&M football scores and full 2026 schedule
Current record: 2-5, 1-2 in SWAC
All times are Eastern
- Saturday, Aug. 29: FAMU 20, Albany State 7
- Sunday, Sept. 6 (Orange Blossom Classic): South Carolina State 31, FAMU 13
- Thursday, Sept. 10: Miami 77, FAMU 7
- Saturday, Sept. 19: Tennessee State 29, FAMU 26
- Saturday, Sept. 26: Alabama A&M 40, FAMU 21
- Saturday, Oct. 3: BYE
- Friday, Oct. 9: FAMU 28, Alabama State 27
- Saturday, Oct. 17: Jackson State 27, FAMU 17
- Saturday, Oct. 24: vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (SWAC/Homecoming), 3 p.m., HBCU GO
- Saturday, Oct. 31: vs. Southern (SWAC), 3 p.m., HBCU GO
- Saturday, Nov. 7: at Alcorn State (SWAC), 3 p.m., SWAC TV
- Saturday, Nov. 14: vs. Mississippi Valley State (SWAC), 3 p.m., SWAC TV
- Saturday, Nov. 21: vs. Bethune-Cookman (SWAC/Florida Classic), 3:30 p.m., ESPN+
Gerald Thomas, III, is a multi-time national award-winning reporter for his coverage of the Florida A&M Rattlers at the Tallahassee Democrat under the USA TODAY Network.
Follow his award-winning coverage on RattlerNews.com and contact him via email at GDThomas@Tallahassee.com or on the app formerly known as Twitter @3peatgee.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: How FAMU football's Johnny Hutton uses volleyball skill to block kicks