🏈 🔵 Why Penn State Tight End Theo Johnson Will Excel At The Next Level
I took away three main points during my conversation with Johnson before his final game with the Nittany Lions in the Peach Bowl.
Welcome to Blue Chip Journal by Adam Breneman — a 2x per-week newsletter with analysis, hot takes, and news on all things college football, NIL, and recruiting. Subscribe now and join nearly 13,000 other sports fans, and share this newsletter with all the college football fans you know!
Blue Chip Journal is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Why Penn State Tight End Theo Johnson Will Excel At The Next Level
Hey friends,
In less than two months, the NFL Combine will feature about 20 prospective tight ends who will eventually live out their dreams to play at the next level upon draft day.
This year, one of the position group’s most fascinating prospects spent the last four seasons under James Franklin’s tutelage in Happy Valley. After putting Mike Gesicki, Pat Freiermuth, and Brenton Strange into the league, Theo Johnson appears to be the next established Penn State tight end to make a splash in an NFL locker room.
Ahead of the Nittany Lions’ postseason Peach Bowl showing in Atlanta, I sat down with Johnson to discuss a variety of topics — ranging from his incredible upbringing marked by difficulty and hardship to his adjustment to American football after strictly adhering to Canadian rules as a young player.
Despite Johnson’s young age, prospects can learn a lot from his story of perseverance and triumph when attempting to excel on the gridiron.
Let’s take a look at three important points I took away from my conversation with Johnson ahead of his pursuit of achieving success in the NFL.
Never Underestimate the Importance of Family
Nearly 15 years ago, Johnson, his mother, Amy, and five siblings moved out of their home in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada without a final destination in mind.
“I came up from a rough past,” Johnson told me. “We didn’t have much growing up. It was just really my mom kind of keeping us together. She did a lot for making sure that we were where we needed to be and making sure everything was taken care of.”
While raising her children and bouncing between temporary living situations, Amy went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in social development studies from the University of Waterloo. Her schedule became even busier when she applied to law school in the fall of 2011 when she began to apply to law school.
Each weekday, at the time, Johnson said his mother would wake up around 4:30 a.m., study for nearly two hours to pass her looming LSAT exam, and then feed her children before school. She’d then attend school before making sure her sons could attend football practice on time until about 7 p.m.
Ultimately, The University of Windsor Law School admitted Amy into its program, and the cohesive family moved to the Windsor area in August 2012. Three years later, she graduated from the program. She’s specialized in family law within private practice ever since.
“When it comes to what she did, you think about how hard it is to go to law school like some people struggle doing that just being a single 20-year-old,” Johnson said. “She was doing that with six kids, and she was in her 30s. She’s an amazing woman. She’s done a lot for me, and I attest a lot of my work ethic and some of my mental traits to her.”
Even with four years of Big Ten football in the rearview mirror, Johnson will never forget his humble roots. He attributes his drive and work ethic to his mom’s ambition, and he hopes to embody similar values through his everyday routine.
Embrace ‘The Grind’
When Johnson first arrived in Happy Valley, his introduction to Penn State and major college football was unlike any situation a group of incoming recruits had ever seen before.
At the height of fall camp, the Big Ten Leadership Council voted 11-3 to postpone all seasonal athletic endeavors on August 11, 2020. Just over a month later, on September 16, the conference unanimously decided to resume the football season starting the weekend of October 24.
Aside from dealing with the personal struggles of battling through COVID-19 hindrances and protocols, Johnson was forced to fight through a lingering shoulder injury. But, against all odds, the Canadian saw the field in seven of nine matchups as a true freshman for the blue and white.
“[During my] freshman year, obviously COVID was really tough,” Johnson said. “I had shoulder issues as soon as I stepped foot on campus. So, I think that was really tough for me. I came in as a kid from Canada having never played American football, adjusting to being a college student, adjusting to having a serious injury for the first time. That was a really hard time for me.”
The grind of Power Five football proved to be a difficult learning curve for Johnson, who had grown up knowing a completely different version of the game in his native country.
Instead of cowering in fear or confusion, Johnson leaned on program veterans for support. Current Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth took Johnson under his wing and showed him the importance of adopting a detailed process to excel at the position.
After Freiermuth left the program for the NFL, Johnson caught nearly five times as many passes during his sophomore campaign, hauling in 19 receptions for 213 yards and a score.
“It took me getting there and just really leaning on the support system I had at school, my coach at the time, some of the older guys in the room like Pat [Freiermuth],” he said. “I looked to him a lot of how he worked in his process… During that time, I did a lot of my growing and developing, and ultimately led me to play my freshman year.”
This newsletter is presented by... PrizePicks
PrizePicks is the easiest way to play daily fantasy. Getting started is very simple — register for an account, make a deposit, and pick more or less on 2-6 player stats to win payouts of up to 25x!
Aside from offering an initial deposit match of up to $100, fans can now use my promo code AdamB for an even BIGGER discount upon downloading the app. Click on the link below to get started today!
Sell Your Strengths
Each year, about 20 tight ends are selected to show off their strengths at the NFL Combine for a chance to rise on draft boards before teams solidify their positional needs.
Per ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., Johnson currently resides as the No. 7 tight end on his big board thanks to his “reliable hands” and “willingness to make catches in traffic.”
To Johnson, his versatility and unique skillset aren’t a secret. In pre-draft meetings and workouts, he knows it’s important to sell his strengths to each potential suitor at the next level to rise amongst other commodities at his position.
“The biggest thing for me is just my versatility,” Johnson said. “A lot of guys are either really good at route running and cannot block to save their lives, or they’re really good at blocking, and they look like they’re in pain running routes. But, I’d like to say I’m a guy that can kind of do both.”
During four years with the Nittany Lions, Johnson compiled 77 catches for 938 yards behind over 12 yards per reception. Additionally, the downfield weapon finished his Penn State career with 12 touchdowns, highlighted by seven scores during his senior campaign.
His entire body of work, defined by his output in the passing game, run-blocking ability against heavy fronts, and willingness to protect the quarterback make him a one-of-a-kind, can’t-miss prospect at the next level.
“I can run routes, I’m a vertical threat, but I can also block at the end one-on-one,” Johnson said. “I think the versatility, and obviously, there are still areas for improvement in those facets, but I think that having the capability to be a guy that can kind of be all that you want as a tight end is something that you don’t see a lot — especially right now.”
The combination of character and production should help Johnson rise during the pre-draft process. His strengths, including his 4.5-second 40-yard dash time, should help the young tight end excel among his counterparts at the combine and beyond.
To watch the entirety of my conversation with Johnson, click here to view my most recent episode of “Next Up With Adam Breneman.’
If you have any questions, comments, or feedback, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me by email at adam@brenemanmedia.com.
You can also find me on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn or Facebook.
Shoutout to Connor Krause for helping to write this newsletter and putting it together!
Interested in advertising with Blue Chip Journal? Email me.