Germantown grad gives his shoes to homeless man

Germantown High School graduate and current University of Tennessee student Garrett Johnson is elevating his title as a “Tennessee Volunteer” to a whole new meaning.

His generosity was captured on video and posted to Twitter late Wednesday night.

“I walked to the strip to get food and a homeless man (Lala) couldn’t walk because his feet were hurting from the torn shoes he had on,” Johnson tweeted. “I told him I would come back and 15 mins (sic) later I did. Don’t know those people but I do care. Love. #GBO”

The accompanying video shows Johnson offering two pairs of shoes to the man he identifies only as “Lala.”

“These are comfortable tennis shoes,” he says, “They’re New Balances. Do they feel good?”

“Free?” the man asks. “Free.” Johnson, who is a walk-on defensive back on the UT football team, offers a second pair to a man sitting on a bench next to him as Lala tries on the shoes while sitting on a bench across from a McDonald’s near the university. He declines.

Johnson checks to make sure the shoes fit and gives the man the second pair of shoes. He then shakes his hand and leaves.

Since posting just before midnight Wednesday night, the tweet has garnered more than 500 retweets and 80 replies — all thanking the Vol for his generosity.

Johnson, a 5-foot-11 junior out of Germantown, led the Germantown High School Red Devils to a 5-6 season his senior year in 2015, according to MaxPreps.

Tennessee will host East Tennessee State in the Vols’ home opener on Saturday at 4 p.m.