Stafon johnson: The power of purpose

Stafon Johnson holds record game stats for his memorable college career at USC. He is now the head football coach for his very own alma mater, Dorsey high school, and also a sports analyst for the NCAA. If you’ve never heard of Stafon, one thing is for sure, he knows football. If you are one of many who are familiar with the former NFL football star, you know, he has faced many adversities on and off the field. There was a time when Stafon saw no future in his beloved sport and believed his career had ended. As he lay in a hospital bed following a near-death injury that left him unable to speak and 40 pounds lighter than the star running back everyone knew and loved; life took a tragic turn and he had no idea what was around the corner. Many athletes are thrust into the limelight, maturing in age, but not in authentic experience. Surrounded by people who thrive on their success, these athletes find themselves learning life-long lessons the hard way. After a conversation with Stafon, he brought to my attention that in his time of reflection, he realized, everyone catered to the player but not the man. This being such a powerful statement I couldn’t help but explore the topic more in-depth with the, now much wiser, man himself. Stafon and I lost track of time discussing growing in grief, laying on his self-proclaimed deathbed, becoming a father of 3 before the age of 25, and a long silent unknown battle with depression; all while maintaining his relationship with God and ultimately defying all odds that were against him.

As the #2 running back recruit his senior year in high school, Stafon had the NCAA college draft in the bag. After ultimately choosing one of the top colleges in his hometown, his freshman year on the field at USC wasn’t at all what he envisioned it to be. With touching the turf a mere 5 times in a single game against Stanford, he finished his first year with only 3 carries and 17 yards. Extremely disappointed, and quiet as kept, he was a signature away from transferring to the University of Georgia. But it wasn’t USC who would face an unforeseen tragic loss, it was actually Stafon. The patriarch of his family, his grandfather, passed away unexpectedly as he was approaching his sophomore year; which led him to remain as close to kin as possible. After playing a phenomenal game against Nebraska, leaving the field with a record-breaking 11 carries for 144 yards, USC knew they made no mistake by drafting such a power player. Stafon’s career catapulted into the college football world at the tender age of 19, right after losing one of the most influential people in his life, Big Dad. He proudly wrote Big Dad on his eye blacks following his loss before every game as a tribute to who he later realized was the only male figure who always spoke to the man in him, not the athlete. Even with his mom forever close by his side, to this day, Stafon questions if he ever really had the chance to grieve. He reminisced about several words of wisdom Big Dad embedded in his memory that continue to trigger his humility and at the same time activate his hunger for what he calls, “God’s Plan.”

Before the end of his unforgettable 2nd year at USC, Stafon received more shocking news. The summer of 2008 came fast, and Stafon became a father in the midst of still navigating becoming a man. His firstborn, Stafon Jr., or Deuce for short, instantly became his pride and joy. He now had another reason to play harder. He couldn’t let Big Dad down and he was determined to make sure Deuce wanted for nothing. His redshirt junior year was here, and the only thing on Stafon’s mind was to get stronger, get faster, and despite having one year of eligibility left to play, get drafted. While lifting in the weight room, on a regular day early in the season, September 28, 2009, would be a day Stafon would never forget. While performing a bench press during a routine workout, a 275-pound barbell came crashing down on Stafon’s throat crushing his larynx and almost taking his life. After successful emergency surgery, Stafon was left with no voice and a trach inserted in his throat to help him breathe. As soon as he was physically able, Stafon was in rehab working toward returning to the field. Six months post injury and ready to get back in the game, after going undrafted, Stafon shocked the world by signing with the Tennessee Titans. On August 14, 2010, yet another season-ending injury hit Stafon hard and football fans everywhere watched tears flow from his eyes as he was carted off the field. The Titans released Stafon on September 2, 2011, and less than four months later he was back on another roster with the then, Washington Redskins. While this was only short-lived due to the NFL lockout, no one expected Stafon to come back so strong after enduring back-to-back mentally and physically demanding injuries. However, this next season Stafon was entering was nothing he could’ve prepared for.

So many people struggle with their mental health silently because they are not aware they are currently in a mental health crisis. Especially in the black community, mental health help has not always been as socially accepted as it is today. Stafon can now openly talk about the challenges he faced with depression, as early as 2009, but not recognizing it until 2013. During his high-functioning episode of depression, Stafon added two more boys to his Johnson tribe, Aiden and Sir. Stafon reflected on a time when he couldn't believe he went from multiple contracts on the table to, now a father of three, making $17 an hour at a job he never thought he’d have. This is where the former athlete officially met the man.

Stafon may have lost some faith in himself, but he never lost his faith in God. He credits his upbringing in the church for remembering that he was an athlete that was in fact much bigger than the game of football. He talked about his dad and how growing up he would constantly try to impress his father, still, today believing there is no better trainer than Stan Johnson. While he would go so hard for his father’s stamp of approval, his dad wouldn’t let up. It wasn’t until he was an adult that his dad told him he knew his son was the best, he just wanted him to keep pushing. He talked about his dad raising that phenomenal player, but feeling cheated out of Big Dad not being able to finish raising that man. So Stafon had to pick up where Big Dad left off. He began finding his way out of that dark hole he didn’t know he fell so deep into.

December of 2019 is when Stafon’s life came back around full circle. He received a call from his alma mater, Dorsey High School, requesting he take the position of their head football coach. He now had the opportunity to feed into these young men first, and young athletes immediately after. In 2020, along with his newfound purpose in the sport he knows so well; Stafon welcomed the baby girl of the bunch and his “best friend” Tru as the newest member of the Johnson tribe. In 2021, Stafon led the Dorsey Dons through an undefeated 5-0 record in the Coliseum League and #1 in the Division 1 City Section playoffs. The Dons did not go on to win the championship, but after a successful season; Coach Johnson was called to spearhead the U.S. All-American game that he once played in as a high school senior. Stafon’s team took the trophy home and he ended his first full season as a head coach victorious. It is now 2022, and Stafon reminisced on how there was a point in his life where he had no voice and people had to read his lips to know what he was saying. Now he sits alongside veteran journalists, who once sat in those same seats talking about him, commentating about college football. Stafon said he knew once the man in him matched the confidence of that star athlete, he would be unstoppable. He also wants everyone to know, he’s just getting started and in the wise words of Big Dad, “Don’t worry about nothin, God has a Plan.”