Sometimes in life, all you need is a chance. Whether that comes in the form of a supportive family member, or simply a job opportunity, one instance of support is all it can take to permanently alter the trajectory of someone’s life for the better.
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For the newest addition to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ roster, Tez Johnson, who came in the form of Patrick Nix, the father of the quarterback for the Denver Broncos, Bo Nix. Just a few days prior to being selected by the Bucs with the 235th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Oregon wide receiver sat down with members of the Nix family to discuss the early days of his football career.
Patrick, who served as both Johnson’s high school football coach and adoptive father, opened up about the decision to bring the young wide receiver into his family. In recalling his first-ever memory of meeting Johnson, Nix noted that
“I’d probably been on the job for three or four weeks, and here comes this little, and when I say little, I mean little bitty kid. I’ll never forget that Bo said, ‘I don’t know who that little kid is, but he’s incredible.'”
For Johnson, the decision to become a member of the Nix family was just as easy as running routes. Coming from a broken home, the Nixs appeared to be the picture-perfect family, something that a young Johnson desperately longed for.
After seeing what could be, the wide receiver decided that there was no going back.
“I walked into the house and I was like, ‘Okay, I’m not leaving.’ They were eating at the dinner table and I thought ‘Wow. They have something that I’m missing right now.’ I wanted a part of it.”
The rest, as they say, was history. After spending the first three years of his collegiate career at Troy, Johnson would reunite with his brother Bo at the University of Oregon. In recalling his personal favorite memory of his playing career to date, Johnson couldn’t help but gravitate towards their viral 77-yard touchdown against the USC Trojans.
“I’m playing with my brother again, playing with Bo. The camera shows Bo running, smiling, with his hand up. Then, when I do spin, you see my entire family and the stadium cheering. Mom’s mouth is open, Sarah’s literally three feet off of the ground, jumping. It’s my favorite memory, I’ll never forget it.”
It’s also worth noting that Johnson had an equally life-changing impact on the Broncos quarterback, as Nix made sure to clarify that “I know how he impacts and affects our lives.” Unfortunately, the two will have to wait a while before they are able to cross paths on an NFL field.
With the team’s opponents for the 2025 season having already been solidified, the two blooming stars will have to remain in their respective conferences for the duration of Johnson’s rookie season. Nevertheless, when the time comes for the Broncos to square off against the Buccaneers once again, their brotherly bond will certainly add an extra layer of drama to the matchup.
Until then, Johnson will be looking to climb his way up the depth chart of what is a relatively stout WR room, one that now features the likes of Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and fellow rookie Emeka Egbuka.
