NATCHITOCHES – When Abram Johnston took the field for the first time as Northwestern State's starting quarterback last season, nerves traveled with him. 
 
Through the understandable butterflies he flashed promise, throwing for 301 yards and a touchdown. But the growing pains of inexperience showed, too — including two costly interceptions.
A year later, Johnston carries himself like a different player.

"Last year there wasn't as much confidence for me," Johnston admitted. "I had never played in a college game yet. But this year it's totally different. I'm much more confident, and I have the team behind my back."

The confidence he carries into NSU's conference opener this weekend against East Texas A&M, the same team he made his first career start against a year ago, hasn't come overnight, but Johnston's progress has been impossible to ignore. 

He remembers vividly the mistakes from that first start — a red zone turnover, another coming out of halftime. Those moments stuck with him, but instead of shaking his belief, they sharpened his resolve.

"It's exciting to see how much I've grown and learned from last year," Johnston said. "I remember making a couple of big mistakes … so being able to see how much I've learned and gotten better against the same team is a cool opportunity."

His mindfulness and ability to celebrate the good while still believing there was still more he could do or do better, is an intangible that head coach Blaine McCorkle loves in his young signal caller. 

Two weeks ago against Prairie View A&M, Johnston produced his first three-touchdown game, throwing for two and rushing for another, a career-long 29-yard run that tied the game at 17 late in the third quarter. 

He finished with 232 all-purpose yards going 13-for-20 in the air and carrying the ball 15 times. Johnston did not throw an interception or turn the ball over in the game and only took one sack.

"You look at the stat line and how he played last time and you say this guy had a pretty good game," McCorkle said. "But he'll tell you there were a lot of things that he left on the table. He comes so far every week because he is really tough and really smart. He has the ability to self-correct, process information and his rate of growth will be really fast compared to a lot of quarterbacks as young as him. Because it is important to him and he wants to do well."
 
That growth and progression since his first start is not only mental, but equally physical for the redshirt freshman QB. Plays, moments and situations that once felt overwhelming now come naturally.

"Mentally things have really slowed down for me," he said. "Last year they would call in a play on the wristband and I'd check it two or three times just to make sure I got it right and said it right in the huddle. Now it's second nature. Physically, having a full year with this strength staff, I probably gained 10 pounds and just feel stronger."

That strength — and confidence — play hand-in-hand with his ability as a thrower and a runner with the football. Johnston has carried the ball 40 times for the Demons this year, an average of 10.0 rushing attempts per game, the most on the team, and is second on the team in rushing yards at 122.

Several of those carries have been designed quarterback runs, but his ability to extend plays and get positive yards will serve the Demons well as they enter Saturday and the Southland Conference portion of the season.

"That (his strength) just adds to my confidence," Johnston said. "You can't run timid in football and I definitely don't feel that at this point. Confidence to run and know when to use my legs but also when to throw the ball, stay in the pocket and make a throw."

Johnston's evolution has also been fueled by the players around him. A deep receiving corps, with 13 different players having at least one reception on the season, have embraced persistence and roles beyond just catching passes.

"It's a really good group of receivers, and they're all patient," Johnston said. "The ball gets spread around, so nobody gets a ton of touches at one time. They're patient and do their job. They're good at stalk blocking, good at blocking on the outside. They do their part and when their moment comes they've all made plays this year."

As Johnston prepares to face East Texas A&M again, it serves as a fitting measuring stick for himself and the Demons. A year ago, he was a newcomer learning hard lessons. Now, he's a confident leader driving the Demon offense forward — a quarterback who continues to grow into the job, and learning to thrive in it.