The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Brothers Kirk and Collin Johnson continue the family tradition at Texas
09.08.2017 | Football
by James Rodriguez
Football practice stalled momentarily on a field in San Jose, Calif., as Johnnie Johnson, a former All-American defensive back at Texas, surveyed his team of Mighty Mites players. The object of his search: a player capable of lining up against his nine-year-old son, Kirk.
Most were either unwilling or unable to tackle Kirk, who had evidently inherited some of his father's bruising strength on the field.
Until one kid stepped forward.
That kid was Collin Johnson, Kirk's younger brother by two years. It was their first time playing together on an organized team, but the younger Johnson knew no fear when it came to competing against his older sibling.
"I told my dad to put me and Kirk against each other," Collin said. "I wasn't scared."
Collin threw down an impressive hit on Kirk, and it was in that moment that Johnnie Johnson knew he had himself a couple of football players.
"I looked at the defensive coordinator and said, 'Whoa, we finally found someone who isn't scared of Kirk,'" Johnnie said. "That was pretty neat to see."
Over a decade later, Kirk, a redshirt sophomore running back, and Collin, a sophomore wide receiver, are once again on the same team. The brothers turned down numerous offers in their home state of California and around the country to follow in their father's footsteps and play for the Longhorns.
The Johnson name carries significant weight in Austin, where their father set several records in the late seventies and earned a spot in the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame. Their younger sister, Camille, joined them on campus this year as a freshman on the Texas track and field team. For the Johnson family, attending The University of Texas is in the blood.
"I think Texas was the dream school for both of us," Kirk said. "We had a talk one day, me, Collin and my dad, and we said probably wherever I go, Collin's going to go because we wanted to play together. That was a big thing. We both loved Texas, grew up loving Texas. My dad went there, I had an uncle that went here, so we chose Texas."
As children, Kirk and Collin accompanied their father to his Hall of Fame induction ceremony in New York City in 2007 and on trips back to Austin, where they soaked up the tradition of the Texas football program. Johnnie often regaled his children with stories of the annual Red River Showdown between Texas and rival Oklahoma.
Now the proud father of three Texas athletes, Johnnie said he's humbled to see his children suit up in the same Burnt Orange & White that he once wore.
"I don't think there's a better school in the country than The University of Texas," Johnnie said. "I know the feeling that I had when I was playing there, and knowing that they get to experience that same feeling is pretty neat."
When Kirk became the first to arrive on campus, in 2015, his father's stories of the Oklahoma rivalry were on his mind. An injury kept him off the field for the first half of his freshman season, but he entered the midseason contest against Oklahoma with a spot on the kickoff team.
With eight minutes remaining in the first quarter and the Longhorns up 7-0, defensive back DeShon Elliott ripped the ball out of the arms of the Oklahoma returner as he tumbled to the ground. Kirk pounced on the ball, earning a fumble recovery in his first play as a Longhorn. Texas converted that field position into a touchdown and went on to win, 24-17.
"That was a big thing, especially because my dad had always talked about that game," Kirk said. "I think that's probably one of the best feelings I've felt in my life."
Like many Longhorn fans, Collin's favorite childhood memory of Texas football occurs during a single play: Vince Young scampering into the end zone on fourth-and-five to secure the national championship. But the enduring image for Collin is not the scene that played out at the 2006 Rose Bowl and on televisions across the nation, but that of his dad celebrating in their home in California.
"Watching my dad, a grown man, jumping up and down, I knew this burnt orange meant a lot to him," Collin said. "Just seeing that was a huge memory for both me and Kirk."
In his first year at Texas, Collin played in all 12 games and emerged as a favorite target of quarterback Shane Buechele, finishing the season with 28 receptions and tied for the lead in touchdown receptions with three. Many expect the 6-foot-6-inch sophomore to follow that performance with a breakout season this year, as one of many talented wide receivers on the team.
Johnnie Johnson carved out a 10-year NFL career as a defensive back, which begs the question: Could the elder Johnson, in his prime, cover his son? The answer, not surprisingly, depends on whom you ask.
"I always give him a hard time how he couldn't guard me and things like that, but he's not having any of that," Collin said with a laugh. "In all due respect, he was a phenomenal player here, he's a phenomenal person and I look up to him. Hopefully I can follow in his footsteps and at the same time not be in his shadow, just be my own person."
After a loss to Maryland in the home opener, the Longhorns will look to reverse course with a win against San Jose State this weekend. Kirk and Collin are more than familiar with their upcoming opponent, having grown up with many of the team's current players in California.
"Being from San Jose, I kind of had people in my ear just about San Jose State all the time," Collin said. "But I guess Austin, Texas, is really my home. That's where my dad went and I love this school."
An injury sidelined Kirk again last season, and the older brother is looking to stay healthy this year. The brothers are eagerly anticipating the day they'll take the field side-by-side, as they did in high school and on their Mighty Mite team before that.
"It was just so fun growing up playing football with Kirk in Pop Warner and in high school," Collin said. "There's just nothing like playing football with your brother. I can't wait until that time comes."
