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Tough and pediatrician are two words that don't normally share the same sentence. After all, parents aren't normally looking for a rugged doctor for their kids. But Dana Johns is by no means normal. The Franklin & Marshall senior point guard, while only 5-foot-3, possesses a personality that cannot be measured with physical size. Diplomats' coach Beth Elbon said she has not come across a player as tenacious as Johns. "They don't come any tougher than her," said Elbon, who is in her eighth year as coach. "She just never lets down. She's always diving all over the court. She has a very special sense of determination and mental toughness." It's that determination
that will have Johns, a 2002 Eastern High School graduate, trading in her basketball sneakers for a stethoscope this fall when she enrolls at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. That fact is not lost on Elbon, who realizes her squad will have a huge hole to fill with the graduation of its floor general. "You don't replace a Dana Johns," Elbon said. "You just try to find other good players that can become special too." What's been special about Johns has not just been her scoring -- although she leads the team with an average of 14 points per game -- but it's been the leadership duties she has embraced on a very young team (Johns is one of only three seniors). The 22-year-old appreciates having the chance to thrive in that role. "It's nice to have the team's respect and have them follow the advice that I try to pass along," Johns said. Johns' willingness to lead and share her knowledge of the game has made Elbon's job much easier. "We all want someone who thinks like a coach out on the floor," Elbon said. "She's a fantastic point guard because she sees the floor so well. But her ability to defend is better than any other point guard that I've coached." Johns' defense may earn her coach's praise, but it's been her scoring that has garnered her recognition recently. After being named the Centennial Conference's Player of the Year as a junior, Johns had a slow start to this season. But she's led the Diplomats in scoring in six of the last eight games, including a couple landmark nights. On Jan. 26 against Muhlenberg, Johns tied her career high with 31 points and a school-record seven three-pointers. The former Golden Knight said it was just one of those nights that athletes dream about. "It was like a breath of fresh air because I haven't had any games like that this year," she said. "But it just felt like everything I put up, I knew it was going in." Then on Thursday, Johns tallied 26 points in just 21 minutes of action against Elizabethtown -- a feat in itself. But the real milestone came just four minutes into the game when she scored her 1,000th career point. It marked the second time Johns has entered that club. She also did it at Eastern. The senior wasn't sure she would have the chance to score 1,000 points in college, though. "It something I've always aimed for since high school," said Johns, who is also the career leader in three-pointers made at F&M with 157. "I knew I was capable, but I just didn't know if that would be my role here." Despite all her achievements on the court, it's the neuroscience major's dedication in the classroom that will help her through the next demanding challenge: eight years of medical school. But her coach has no doubt that her toughest player will also make a wonderful doctor. "She's a perfectionist," Elbon said. "Her work ethic and determination are what set her apart from comparison."
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