West Side’s Jon’Vea Johnson returns to the Chicago area for his latest NFL opportunity. His pursuit of a roster spot with the Bears is ‘like a dream come true.’

This isn’t Jon’Vea Johnson’s first time at an NFL training camp.

It’s not his first time signing with an NFL team.

Still, this time is unique for the 6-foot, 195-pound wide receiver.

Johnson, a 2014 West Side graduate, signed with the Chicago Bears on July 27, giving him a chance to earn one of the team’s 53 roster spots.

“Just growing up so close to here, being born and raised right around the corner, it’s like a dream come true, honestly,” he said.

Johnson was a star athlete at West Side. During his senior year, he caught 73 passes for 1,428 yards and 23 touchdowns in the fall and was an all-state sprinter in the spring. He helped the Cougars win the state championship in track and field.

His cousin, Lonnie Johnson, also was part of those West Side teams and is entering his third season with the Houston Texans after being picked in the second round of the 2019 NFL draft.

Jon’Vea Johnson played college football at Toledo, where he had 125 catches, 2,265 yards and 25 touchdowns in 53 games. He went undrafted in 2019 but signed with the Dallas Cowboys, spending that season on injured reserve after suffering a shoulder injury in the preseason.

Johnson was on the Cowboys’ practice squad for the entire 2020 season before being waived in March. The Jacksonville Jaguars claimed Johnson off waivers and then released him in June.

Johnson said he wasn’t worried about finding a spot for training camp this year.

“I know what I’m bringing to the table,” he said. “I got cut right after minicamps, when a lot of the decision-makers are spending time with their families. I knew that, once camps started back up and they got back in the office, I’d get something.”

He was right. Johnson was one of four players brought in for a workout last week and one of two players the Bears signed, along with veteran wide receiver Justin Hardy.

Johnson enters a wide-open battle for a roster spot. Allen Robinson and Darnell Mooney occupy the top two slots on the depth chart at wide receiver, with the remaining spaces available to be claimed. Even as a late addition to the roster, Johnson could be in the mix if he can find a way to stand out during the preseason.

“I just have to work a little harder than I ever have before,” he said. “That’s going to be the difference-maker between this one and the Jacksonville and Dallas ones — just locking in.”

He was locked in before arriving in Chicago, dedicating the offseason to overall improvement and his physical condition.

“I didn’t really narrow it down to one thing,” he said. “It was more of an overall thing for me this summer. But I tried to hit my conditioning a lot too. Availability is the best ability.”

Even if this third NFL stop doesn’t work out, Johnson said he doesn’t intend to quit.

“I’ll keep going,” he said.

Dave Melton is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.