Bob Collins
Tyler Johnson, the University of Minnesota receiver, is the kind of star athlete that more people should notice — not because of his football skills, but because he knows the value of an education.
Wednesday was the deadline for underclassmen to declare for the NFL draft. It’s understandable that a lot of kids take the money and run. Maybe they’ll work on their degree later; maybe they won’t. Money is hard to ignore.
Johnson ignored it, tweeting this week that he’ll stay in school.
Last ride 〽️ pic.twitter.com/wd3x54piiq
— Tyler Johnson (@T_muhneyy10) January 14, 2019
He tells the Star Tribune’s Chip Scoggins that he’s excited about the Gophers team and wants another year with it.
That’s the football side of the calculation. Here’s the human side. He wants to teach something to his four siblings and the kids of North Minneapolis.
“It will help them to understand and realize that getting a degree is very important,” he tells Scoggins. “It means a lot to me knowing I’ve got a big impact on a lot of people.”
He’ll graduate after the fall semester, likely holding every major receiving record at the U of M.
He’ll also hold a degree in business and marketing education.
