Inside the rich tapestry of Lonnie Johnson Jr.’s life, colorful tattoos and personalized jewelry illustrate his rise from a hardscrabble steel town with a grim economy and an alarmingly high homicide rate.
Growing up in Gary, Ind., once a vibrant example of American industry now overridden by crime an filled with abandoned houses with broken windows, the Texans’ hard-hitting safety lost several close friends to gun violence. That includes former Westside Leadership Academy classmate and track and field teammate Daja Brookshire.
Brookshire was shot and killed at age 15 in a drive-by shooting. Johnson commemorated her life and their friendship with a tattoo of a red rose on his right hand along with her first name stenciled across the body art.
“The girl I knew, she was like a little sister to everybody, and that's why she’s on my hand,” Johnson said. “She had a bright future ahead of her. It’s sad what happened. It just doesn’t make any sense.”
Johnson also has a symbol of praying hands on his right forearm an a Biblical verse on his right shoulder about the importance of humility.
The verse:“So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor."
Johnson has a tattoo on his left arm that says, ‘Scary Gary,’ a reminder of his tough Midwestern roots.
Johnson owns a large gold chain attached to a precious item: a pendant with a color photograph of his oldest daughter, Ayla.
That's a symbol of a life that gives him happiness. Married to Selena and the father of two daughters, Ayla and Alani, Johnson is entering his third NFL season as a former second-round draft pick from Kentucky.
From humble beginnings in Gary to academic struggles that nearly derailed his burgeoning football career, Johnson beat the odds and matured on and off the field to earn two college degrees and become a professional football player.
Now, Johnson is determined to give back to Gary. He’s hosting his first annual Protect the Youth football camp on June 12 at Westside for ages 8 to 18 where he’ll be joined by his cousin, former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Jon’Vea Johnson, and football players Kawann Short, Antonio Pipkin and Ryan Neal.
To be able to help others and reach this point in his life is particularly significant for the 25-year-old NFL player.
“It means a lot, especially when I got drafted coming from that city and to be able to give back now and just beat the odds out of that city is tough,” Johnson said. “I’ve dealt with a lot of stuff, dealing with losing close friends and family. Being one of the top recruited guys coming out of Gary in forever and then having to go to junior college, laying on the floor at times because there was nowhere to sleep and being hungry at times, it was a tough road to get to where I’m at now.
“So, I want to help shine a light on the city as much as possible. If not for Gary and my parents, I wouldn’t have the strong mindset I have to fight and keep going. In Gary, we’re known for fighting for everything.”
In partnership with his representatives at Element Sports, USA Football, NFL Foundation, the school and several local sponsors, Johnson intends to teach football and life skills. He also wants to show them tangible proof of what’s possible: a life and a world beyond Gary.
“I just want to give the kids something to remember forever,” Johnson said. “I want them to learn about specific skill positions and give them a chance to compete and give the city a chance to come out and enjoy themselves with all the sponsors and food. This is for everybody to have a chance to be something and something for the city. This is my way for bringing something back that’s positive.
“I want them to know that academics, first and foremost, are the most important thing before football. Academics held be back all the time in the past. I also want them to know that anything is possible. Anything can happen for anybody. You have to have a dream and a purpose.”
This isn’t the first time that Johnson has contributed to help people in his hometown.
As a rookie, Johnson paid for the funeral of Curtis Walton, Jr., a 14-year-old football player who drowned.
“It was just hard growing up there," Johnson said. "It's obviously a rough city. I've seen a lot of things growing up. It was just difficult the whole time I was there. I know what his family kind of felt like.
“I've lost a lot of people close to me. I know what it's like to be in their position. I've been in that position plenty of times. I just wanted to help out any way I could."
Johnson and his family once crowded into his grandmother’s two-bedroom home alongside 17 family members. The family leaned on each other for strength and Johnson was inspired by the example of his mother, a bus driver and track coach.
A proud father and husband, Johnson strives every day for his family.
“That’s my heart and my soul,” Johnson said. “It’s just all a growing process. I didn’t start off like this. I don’t plan on finishing like this. I just thank my wife and my kids for helping me become the person I am today. I thank my mom and my dad for raising me the right way. I can thank a lot of people. I’m just trying to be the example for everybody.”
Signed to a four-year, $5.214 million contract that includes $3.039 million guaranteed with a $1.812 million signing bonus, Johnson has climbed steep ladders. Especially considering that he nearly walked away from football when he was in junior college.
After low grades prevented him from qualifying for a scholarship to Ohio State, Johnson enrolled at San Bernardino Valley, a California junior college. While he was there, Johnson’s parents broke up. He struggled financially and with his academics. Johnson wasn’t excelling on the field as a wide receiver. He once got in a fight that cost him a night in jail, although no formal charges were brought against him.
Johnson had arrived at an early crossroads.
“I almost gave it up at one point in junior college because I kept getting knocked down every step I tried to take,” Johnson said. “Every step forward I tried to take, I kept getting knocked down. I almost thought about giving it up, just stuck with it. Ended up finally qualifying through school, got to Kentucky and ended up doing the right thing.”
Offered a scholarship by Garden City Community College by Jeff Sims, a former Indiana University recruiting coordinator, Johnson thrived when he was switched to cornerback from wide receiver. He intercepted five passes in his final six games.
After committing to Iowa State and not qualifying academically, he returned to Garden City to improve his academics after exhausting his two seasons of junior college eligibility.
That investment in the classroom paid dividends. Johnson signed with Kentucky after being offered a full scholarship. He became a starter and NFL draft prospect, emerging as a team leader who graduated with a degree in communications.
The growth Sims witnessed gives him a lot of pride.
“If people truly know how far someone like Lonnie or Lavonte David or Jason Pierre-Paul or Mike Hughes had to go to get to where they are now, you wouldn’t believe it,” Sims said in a telephone interview. “I personally think junior college is the most impactful level of college football on young men. It was a path most people don’t take. The reality is a guy like Lonnie had to be shown he could do it. Once he was able to see that, he really thrived Lonnie always had the skills and the intelligence. Lonnie is really, really intelligent.
“Sometimes, guys get mistaken because they have poor grades and people though, ‘Oh, they’re not that intelligent.’ That wasn’t the case with Lonnie. He was just underdeveloped academically. It’s like taking a guy who never lifted weights before and putting them in a weight room and expecting them to be able to lift a lot of weight. Lonnie just needed the proper structure to develop academically. From there, he gained confidence in everything.”
At 6-2, 213 pounds with 4.38 speed in the 40-yard dash, Johnson is the biggest defensive back on the Texans' roster and one of the fastest.
Big, fast, aggressive and drafted by former general manager Brian Gaine to upgrade the size and athleticism on the roster, Johnson played 703 snaps on defense last season, 64 percent overall after playing 529 snaps, 49 percent, as a rookie two seasons ago.
During a win over the New England Patriots, Johnson had two quarterback hits on Cam Newton. That included one clutch pressure with safety Justin Reid that forced Newton to throw incomplete on fourth down late in the fourth quarter to clinch a 27-20 victory.
The Texans have settled on Johnson as a safety after having him play cornerback initially. They like his physical style.
"Lonnie has position flexibility," Texans defensive coordinator Lovie Smith said. "You’re going to hear that word an awful lot. I think it’s safe to say, we see Lonnie as a safety right now. He feels good about that. He’s got excellent size. He’s got a corner skillset, too. Really feel good about him fitting into our defense."
Johnson played in every game last season with five starts and had a career-high 76 tackles, one for a loss, with three quarterback pressures. As a rookie, Johnson played in 14 games with seven starts and recorded 41 tackles with seven passes defended and no interceptions.
Safety, because of his style, appears to be the best fit for Johnson.
“In the NFL, it’s hard because they don’t let you touch receivers much anymore because of the rules,” Sims said. “Lonnie was taught by us to be a physical corner. He could maul you at the line of scrimmage. He’s long. He would beat you up. He would disrupt the timing. Safety is a great position for Lonnie.”
Johnson figures to compete with returning starter Eric Murray and special-teams standout A.J. Moore for playing time at safety next to Reid.
“I expect us to get a lot of turnovers and we just want to go out and capitalize on everything we didn’t capitalize on last year,” Johnson said. “That’s about just all of us working together, me, J-Reid and Eric Murray. J-Reid, that’s my evil twin. We plan on working together with bad intentions toward the offensive players we’re competing against.”
Johnson has another tattoo on his left arm of himself standing at the bottom of a staircase. It includes an I-65 highway sign: a route out of Gary. It also has a clock. It’s symbolic to Johnson. He wants to reach the top before time runs out on him.
Only time isn’t running out on Johnson. And he's returning to Gary to provide hope and an example of what’s possible through hard work and perseverance.
“Lonnie is a good dude who’s learned a lot of things along the way to the NFL,” Sims said. “A lot of us, we’re all products of our experiences. He’s a young man who’s found success because he continues to work hard and develop. Most of all, Lonnie has a big heart and he never forgets where he came from. Lonnie Johnson is a young man from Gary who I couldn’t be prouder of.”
Aaron Wilson has covered the NFL for 20 seasons, including the Texans, Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars. He has previously written for The Houston Chronicle and The Baltimore Sun. He’s on Twitter: @AaronWilson_NFL and Instagram: @aaronwilson7128.