PROUD RIDER’S OUTREACH WORK IS CHANGING LIVES
Rough upbringing motivates CFL veteran to go out and do what he can to help others
With drugs and guns and killing and bad influences everywhere around him, the boy became a man.
Saskatchewan Roughriders defensive back Jovon Johnson, who played for the Ottawa Redblacks in 2014-15, had no choice.
Living in the projects of Erie, Pa., and with his mother working two jobs, Johnson had to grow up in a hurry.
“I didn’t really get to enjoy my childhood,” said Johnson, a 12-year Canadian Football League veteran who is now 34.
“As a nine-year-old, I was forced to become a man of the house. Even though I had my siblings and some cousins that my mom adopted living with us, I was understanding of the circumstances. I was able to step up and do a lot of things most nineyear-old kids wouldn’t have the ability or mental capacity to do.
“I was basically the father figure. I would make sure everybody was up at 6:30 to get a shower, I would make sure they went to school in the morning. I made sure once we got home from school that everybody would sit at the table and get their homework done before we went to play.”
The kids park in the neighbourhood was occupied by drug dealers, gunshots rang out frequently. Coping with death became normal. A cousin bled to death after his throat was slashed. Another cousin drowned after being pushed into the water, and Johnson’s 15-year-old younger brother DaQuan was shot dead in a crossfire of bullets in 2008.
Johnson fell into the trap at times. He got into trouble. But he climbed out.
The sadness and anger hardened Johnson and also gave him an appreciation for life, wanting to help others, something he does in the community.
He has the words “Struggle builds character” tattooed onto his back. From the bad, there came good.
His most recent project in Saskatchewan was a backpack giveaway. He spent more than $2,000 to buy 500 backpacks.
He partnered with a local Staples store (which picked up 50 per cent of the tab) to get supplies to fill the bag.
For the younger kids, the backpacks were loaded with things like crayons, pencil crayons, pencils, paper and notebooks. For the older ones, there were Duo-Tangs, binders, notebooks, pens and calculators.
A lot of Roughriders also donated backpacks, filling them up with supplies.
“I was sitting at the house thinking of different ways I could get involved,” said Johnson, who also is on a mission to raise awareness and funds for the treatment and research of Lyme disease. “Given that school was starting soon, I decided to do a backpack giveaway. It started with 20 backpacks and ended up at 500 with the support from the community.
“The things I do are bigger than the game of football.
“My legacy won’t be determined based on how good a football player I was. It will be based on all the different things I was able to do in the community.
“I want people to remember me as being someone with a big heart, that I cared about people. It was never about me as an individual. I couldn’t do it alone.
“If I was stuck in a situation where I had to do it by myself, I wouldn’t be able to do it. I’m grateful to all the people who have helped me. I wouldn’t be who I am if it weren’t for the number of people I had growing up that helped me get from one step to the next. I’m continuing to try and impact people as best Ican.”
With the help of the Rotary Club, the Salvation Army and other local organizations, they passed along the supplies, in both Regina and Saskatoon. The response to the backpack giveaway was phenomenal.
“You could see the looks on their faces, the appreciation they had. That meant more to me than anything,” said Johnson.
“What it did for me was show people appreciate the little things. From kindergarten all the way up to 12th grade, I think we gained some lifelong Saskatchewan Roughriders fans by doing the backpack thing.”
His involvement with Lyme (an inflammatory disease characterized at first by a rash, headache, fever and chills and later by possible arthritis and neurological and cardiac disorders caused by bacteria that are transmitted by ticks) began in Ottawa when he met a woman who had been affected by the disease.
“I found out there were a lot of people still dealing with complications with Lyme,” said Johnson. “I wanted to get involved and use the platform we, as athletes, have.”
Johnson’s CFL journey started in Saskatchewan, went through Winnipeg for six seasons (in 2011, he was the league’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player), then it was on to Ottawa, Montreal and back to Saskatchewan, where he’s been for the past two seasons.
He’s always looking for new ways to get involved in the community.
“The community pays us to play the game we love,” he said.
“It’s good for us to show our gratitude. As a kid, I dealt with a lot of stuff that nobody knew about. I want to be there to be a positive influence and give the kids something to look forward to.
“I think what I went through, it helped me deal with real-life situations, understanding that a lot of people are dealing with something. You don’t know what somebody’s going through.
“That’s part of the reason I started my Jovon Johnson Academy back in Pennsylvania — to help kids who need mentoring and guidance.
“A lot of times, we feel like we’re on our own. You need to know there’s somebody there who can help you get through tough times. I’ve helped a number of kids — a lot of them have gone to college and done well. That’s why I do it, that’s what makes me happy.
“It gives you a good feeling in your heart. You’re spreading love to those who may not have it. You’re offering opportunities to people who may not have them. You’re giving a voice to people who often forget they have one. They open up and tell you things they may not tell somebody they think may judge them.
“It’s the best feeling in the world, to have somebody come to me and talk to me about something they feel like they can’t talk to anybody else about.”
As a kid, I dealt with a lot of stuff that nobody knew about. I want to be there to be a positive influence and give the kids something to look forward to.