The newly honored Most Valuable Player Darion Johnson’s journey to a national championship was anything but conventional. 

“I took a different path to DuPage, and I wasn’t the best kid growing up,” Johnson said. “I had to drop out and just made my own bad decisions to ultimately end up homeless. So, I came to DuPage and promised myself I was going to finish school and ball out for as long as I can. This means everything to me, literally everything.”

The Chaps’ defensive lineman’s perseverance culminated in his one and a half sacks, four tackles, and two tackles for a loss, fueling an MVP performance in the Red Grange Bowl, where the Chaparrals (11-1) defeated Louisburg (8-3) 31-14 to win their fourth consecutive national championship on Dec. 8. Johnson’s personal history showed, for some, the victory about overcoming adversity and proving hard work, unity and determination can turn even the most difficult circumstances into triumph.

From Johnson’s inspiring journey, to the on-field dominance displayed by running back Ernest Temple, quarterback Justin Bland, and the entire Chaps squad, the College of DuPage proved once again that their success is built on more than just talent — it’s a testament to resilience, heart and a championship culture that refuses to be broken.

The Chaparrals put themselves on the list with North Dakota State (NCAA FCS), Augustana, Ill. (NCAA Division III) and Carroll (Mont.) College to become only the fourth team in College Football history to achieve four straight national championships.

The three-time honored NJCAA Coach of the Year Matthew Rahn secured his fourth national championship since becoming the official head coach for the Chaps. COD remains the only program to have won the NJCAA Division III championship since its launch in 2021.

“When everyone else is sleeping and enjoying their summer, these guys are working their butts off,” Rahn said. “There is not another junior college that works harder than them, and all of this is a product of how they operate and conduct themselves. This is the most cohesive team we’ve had, and they all have really come together and are all aligned mentally the same.”

The Chaparrals displayed their championship experience early after converting on a fourth and one  during their opening drive to lead to a 36-yard touchdown reception from wide receiver Clayton Bone. The Akron transfer wrapped up an impressive season by scoring early in the game, giving the Chaps some early momentum that would help them later.

“If you saw how hard we worked every day and the culture we built here, this would not surprise you,” said Bone. “When I [arrived] in January, everyone told me to buy into [the program], and I’ve been looking forward to this all year. Coach [Ja Vontae] Hence, Rahn, and everyone in the building has made me 10 times better than the player I was before.”

COD continued their dominance in the first half after securing a 21-0 lead with the help of running back Ernest Temple making a 24-yard rushing touchdown. Quarterback Justin Bland also made a 3-yard run into the end zone to further their lead.

After becoming a back-to-back national champion, Temple finished the game with a combined 120 yards and a touchdown.

“It’s emotional since it’s my last [game at COD], and it feels great being a two-time national champion,” Temple said. “There was a lot of trash talk before this game and me getting into the end zone after everything [Louisburg players] said made it feel great. I expected the best from all my guys tonight, and I got the best.”

Bland finished the game with 180 passing yards, two rushing touchdowns, and a passing touchdown. Despite facing the adversity of throwing a backwards pass leading to a fumble towards the end of the second quarter, the former redshirt dug deep to lead his team past the Hurricanes.

“I wasn’t getting upset when the ball wasn’t connecting in the air, but I knew I couldn’t get stuck in my head and my thoughts, so I took it play by play,” Bland said. “The redshirt year did it for me, and a lot of people think it’s a bad thing. It’s all about what you do during that year, and I put in that extra work and took it very seriously.”

The Bulldogs’ lack of experience was displayed after totaling 11 penalties for 99 yards, a fumble, and two interceptions thrown. Louisburg entered the contest as the first team in their program’s history to make it to the national championship. The Hurricanes entered the year unranked and concluded their memorable season as the second seed in the nation. 

After giving up a touchdown late in the second quarter, COD went into halftime with a 24-7 lead after second-year kicker Christian Casillas hit a 45-yard field goal to end the half. The All-American finished the season making 60-of-60 kicks on PATs and 12 of 16 on field goals.

“After all those 5:45 [a.m.] meetings and all our hard work, we stayed together, and now we’re four-time national champions,” Casillas said. “I had a career in soccer before football and after all the love these guys have given me, I just appreciate all the guys for being with me. Coming into [this year] as an All-American, I just wanted to follow up that year and outdo myself.”

The Bulldogs managed to cut the lead to 24-14 in the second half due to costly COD defensive penalties. The third quarter consisted of one player on both teams being ejected from the game off unsportsmanlike penalties, a failed fake punt attempt by COD, and an interception by Chaps’ Khamrim Boecker. However, COD would not be deterred by these setbacks, and kept up their energy to the finish line.

The Chaparrals momentum would carry into the fourth quarter after second-year cornerback Tyrese Buffkin picked off an overthrown pass from Louisburg’s quarterback.

“It’s just surreal [after] starting the season rocky and not starting every game,” said Buffkin. “Coming up, I didn’t start every game. Mid-season started finding my groove, and then went on to start all the last games and let my play work and studied hard. It all paid off today, and I got my first [interception] of the season. I knew that ball was mine, knew it was coming, and knew that if I didn’t catch it, it would’ve been on me.”

A 50-yard breakaway halfback screen pass to Temple sealed the game for COD after giving the team great field position at the 7-yard line with six minutes left in the game. Bland was pushed into the end zone to score a 7-yard touchdown to secure the Chap’s 31-14 lead over the Bulldogs.

This championship win solidifies the College of DuPage athletic program’s 45th national championship.