Keyontae Johnson Up And About, Proves It With 'Gator Chomp'

University of Florida basketball star Keyontae Johnson gave Gator nation a reason to smile days after collapsing during a college basketball game. The 21-year-old thanked everyone for their prayers and support and capped it all off on video with the familiar Gator Chomp.

It has been almost a week since the 6-foot-5 cager collapsed in the Gators showdown with the Florida State Seminoles. But it appears Johnson is recovering well after being placed in a medically induced coma. He has made tremendous progress, although doctors are likely still monitoring him, TMZ Sports reported.

"First and foremost, I would like to thank God," Johnson said. "I know you all have been sending your prayers out the last few weeks and me and my parents are very grateful for all the prayers that have been going out."

Not to be forgotten are the doctors and medical staff who gave him medical attention after he shockingly collapsed on the basketball court.

"To all the doctors and medical staff at Tallahassee Memorial and UF Shands, I just want to say thank you for all the support you gave me," Johnson stated. "To my Gator Nation and UF athletic family, I just want to thank you for all the prayers you gave out to me."

To recall, Johnson was coming off a big alley-oop play courtesy of an assist from his teammate, Tyree Appleby. He appeared fine and celebrated with his teammates as they headed to a timeout.

The shock came when they came out of the huddle. While walking back to the court, Johnson collapsed at center court to the horror of players around him. He was immediately attended to by medical personnel and rushed to the hospital.

Johnson was singled out as one of the players who tested positive for COVID-19 last summer. It has yet to be known if this had anything to do with the incident.

As mentioned in a previous report, doctors have yet to determine if the collapse was caused by dehydration or if it was heart-related. It could be hypertrophic and myocarditis, which raises concerns on possible links to COVID-19.

The good news is that Johnson seems up and about. He is a promising NBA prospect who could have joined the 2020 Draft. He opted to pass on that for now and continue playing for the Gators.