ORINGHER,
ORINGHER, THANKS MUCH FOR BEING WITH US ON SPORTS EXTRA.
>> APPRECIATE YOU GUYS HAVING
ME.
ME.
ME. >>>
ME. >>> THE COMPETITOR YOU SEE
SUNDAY IS A FRACTION OF WHAT IT
MEANS TO BE A PROFESSIONAL
FOOTBALL PLAYER.
FOOTBALL PLAYER. TAKE THE GUY IN THIS NEXT STORY.
YES HE SCORED THE FIRST
TOUCHDOWN OF THE SEASON BUT
AFTER THAT, WELL, FOR THIS GUY
THERE WERE LOSSES, A
CONCUSSION, AND NOW HE IS ON
THE COVID LIST.
STILL DAVID JOHNSON NEVER STOP
THINKING ABOUT HIS MISSION OFF
THE FIELD.
THE FIELD. AND THREE COMPANYWIDE
PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NFL
PLAYERS ASSOCIATION DAVID IS
HER HOMETOWN MVP. ACROSS THE
GREAT STATE OF TEXAS, THERE'S
HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF
NDIVIDUALS WITH THE NAME DAVID
JOHNSON.
JOHNSON.
JOHNSON. THAT ONLY ONE HAS A PLATFORM
LIKE THIS.
LIKE THIS. >> HAND-OFF, JOHNSON, WALKS
INTO THE RIGHT SIDE, TOUCHDOWN,
DAVID JOHNSON.
DAVID JOHNSON. >> IN THIS DAVID JOHNSON, HIS
SUCCESS AS YOU WILL SEE A
LITTLE LATER ALL COMES BACK TO
WHAT'S BETWEEN THE EARS.
>> I WANT TO BE SOMEONE WHO
WHEN YOU THINK OF MY NAME HE IS
SOMEONE WHO MADE AN IMPACT ON
THE FIELD ARE MOSTLY OFF THE
FIELD.
FIELD.
FIELD. >>
FIELD. >> SINCE ARRIVING IN HOUSTON IN
JULY WITH HIS WIFE MEGAN AND
THEIR TWO KIDS, DJ IN LONDON,
DAVID HAS HAD TO ADJUST TO A
NEW TEAM IN A NEW CITY WHILE
DRAWING UP A NEW PLAN FOR HOW
TO HELP THOSE IN NEED.
DURING A PANDEMIC.
>> ME AND MY WIFE WE CAN'T WAIT
TO REALLY GET INVOLVED FULLY
INTO THE COMMUNITY.
IT HAS BEEN TOUGHER NOW BECAUSE
OF COVID.
OF COVID.
OF COVID. >> DAVID JOHNSON QUICKLY MADE A
NAME FOR HIMSELF IN ARIZONA.
WANTS A LITTLE-KNOWN THIRD
ROUND DRAFT PICK HE BECAME ONE
OF THE CARDINALS BEST.
>> I KNOW HE'S GOING TO MAKE
SOME PLAYS FOR US.
>> AND MOST POPULAR PLAYER.
>> HE HANDLES HIS BUSINESS THE
RIGHT WAY.
RIGHT WAY. >> FIRST MAKING DEFENSIVE BACKS
TWINS AND MAKING SMALL CHILDREN
GRIN.
GRIN.
GRIN. >>
GRIN. >> MY FAVORITE FOOD IS CHICKEN.
>> WHETHER HE WAS HOSTING
FOOTBALL CAMPS WERE VISITING
THE RONALD McDONALD HOUSE OR
PLAYING DODGEBALL AT THE BOYS
AND GIRLS CLUB, ALSO SIGNIFICANT
, SPEAKING OUT AGAINST
BULLYING, WHICH DAVID ADMITTED
HE WAS TOO SCARED TO DO SO WHEN
HE WAS A YOUNGSTER.
>> I WAS A VICTIM OF BULLYING,
AND I WANT TO BE A LIGHT,
INFLUENCE AND IMPACT KIDS.
PHILIP BULLYING IS ONE OF THE
BIGGEST PROBLEMS THAT'S GOING
ON WITH KIDS TODAY.
>> [ APPLAUSE ]
>> DAVID THEN ESTABLISHED THE
JOHNSON FAMILIES MISSION 31
FOUNDATION.
FOUNDATION. IT'S MISSION IS TO HELP
SERIOUSLY ILL KIDS AND FAMILIES
THROUGH A PROGRAM CALLED
DAVID'S LOCKER, A CABINET WITH
ALL KINDS OF TECH, GAMES AND
GADGETS TO HELP THOSE FOLKS
HANDLE THE TOUGH TIMES.
>> MEGAN AND I WERE TRYING TO
FIGURE OUT WHAT WE CAN DO WITH
KIDS AND FOR KIDS AND WE CAME
UP WITH THIS IDEA OF PUTTING
NINTENDO SWITCHES, NOISE
CANCELING HEADPHONES AND IPADS
IN AN ENVIRONMENT AND WE WERE
TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WOULD
WE DO THAT, HOW WOULD WE GET
THE UNITS IN THE HOSPITAL'S, IN
THE SCHOOLS AND IN THE MOST
EFFECTIVE WAY.
EFFECTIVE WAY. EVERY FOOTBALL TEAM HAS A
LOCKER, EVERY PLAYER HAS A
LOCKER ROOM AND THAT'S WHAT WE
WANTED TO BUILD FOR THE KIDS TO
HELP THEM FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW,
THIS IS HOW QUOTE UNQUOTE
FOOTBALL LOCKER IS SET UP.
>> THIS IS IN A HOME FOR
CHILDREN WITH LIFE-THREATENING
CONDITIONS.
CONDITIONS. >> THESE KIDS DESERVE IT.
THEIR FAMILIES DESERVE IT, THE
STAFF DESERVES IT.
IT'S GREAT.
IT'S GREAT. >> ALL OF THAT LED TO THIS.
>> DAVID JOHNSON.
>> DAVID NAMED THE CARDINALS
WALTER PAYTON MAN OF THE YEAR.
>> THANK YOU.
>> IT'S PROBABLY THE BIGGEST
ONE OF ELLICOTT I HAVE RECEIVED
AND THE MOST PROUD REWARD FOR
SURE.
SURE.
SURE. >>
SURE. >> WHEN I SAY DAVID'S SUCCESS
COMES BACK TO WHAT'S BETWEEN
THE EARS, YES, IT'S A MINDSET
BUT THOSE YEARS ARE ALSO CORN
FROM IOWA. DAVID'S ROOTS WE
LEARNED THE VALUE OF HARD WORK
AND CARING FOR OTHERS AS THE
SON OF A SINGLE MOM WITH FIVE
SIBLINGS.
SIBLINGS.
SIBLINGS. >> I LUCKILY HAD THE SUPPORT
SYSTEM, COACHES, FRIENDS,
PARENTS, TEACHERS THAT HAD
HELPED ME IN MY DEVELOPMENT AND
HELPED ME GROWING UP.
SO THAT'S REALLY ONE OF THE
BIGGEST REASONS I WANTED TO
GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY
BECAUSE I HAD SO MANY TO HELP
SUPPORT ME AND HELP ME GET
THROUGH MY STRUGGLES AND I WANT
TO DO THE SAME THING FOR THE
KIDS AND OTHER FAMILIES AS
WELL.
WELL.
WELL. >>
WELL. >> DAVID WILL USE THOSE EXACT
WORDS AGAIN AFTER DEDICATING
HOUSTON'S FIRST DAVID'S LOCKER
BECAUSE HIS FOUNDATION STILL
MANAGED TO HOLD A SUCCESSFUL
AND SAFE FUNDRAISER DESPITE THE
PANDEMIC.
PANDEMIC.
PANDEMIC. WITH HIS UNIQUE PLATFORM, THIS
DAVID JOHNSON IS SIMPLY DOING
WHAT COMES NATURAL. NOW,
PLANTED IN HOUSTON, HIS MISSION
ONLY GROWS.
ONLY GROWS. >> I SPOKE TO DAVID BEFORE THAT
FUNDRAISER, WHICH POINT IN MORE
THAN $200,000.
THAN $200,000. IF YOU WANT TO HELP THEM, GO TO
THE WEBSITE AND AS FOR DAVID