Were Quentin Johnston's parents in military? Looking at Chargers WR's family background and ethnicity
Quentin Johnston went off the board in the first round to the Los Angeles Chargers, and the franchise will think they have got a steal. Not only is he a very good wide receiver, he also has high football intelligence and maturity beyond his years.
Much of that comes from the influence of his parents, Carl and Sherry Johnston, who were both in the military. That has given Johnston a sound grounding as he enters the NFL.
One of the best examples of their influence comes from when Quentin Johnston was offered a transfer to Oklahoma. Oklahoma is a powerhouse, and he was getting a better NIL deal there, but Carl told him:
“He (Quentin Johnston) called me, and he asked me what did I think. I told him what I thought about transferring at this stage in his career. I said, ‘Oklahoma, yeah, that’s a powerhouse team. But this could possibly be your last year. You’re already established. If you go up to Oklahoma, you have to get re-familiarized with all your surroundings, learn a whole new everything."
Asking the player to prioritize his future instead of looking at short-term gains, he added:
"Right now, you’re established right where you’re at; you’ve got your friends there; your schooling is going great. If you stay the course, I believe you’ll be all right. Your name is out there already. They know what you can do. Just hang tough where you’re at."
Quentin Johnston's journey to LA Chargers
Having a good family is the start of the game, but it's never the end of it. One must also talk about the effort Quentin Johnston has put into being where he's today. Quentin Johnston was born on September 6, 2001, in Temple, Texas.
He was initially supposed to join Texas, but when they fired their wide receivers coach before he joined, he decommitted and joined TCU instead. The fact that TCU took part in this year's National Championship has a lot to do with Johnston. He was a player who could have been anywhere else, but he chose to be here.
It helped a lot that his parents were able to sort out the bells and whistles and keep him focussed. Even though TCU was blown out in the Championship game against Georgia, Johnston still had a phenomenal season. He ended with 1,069 yards, 60 receptions and six touchdowns in 14 games. The only concern was that he had six drops, too.
However, he put all those concerns to rest in the NFL Combine, emerging as a consensus top-round pick. It was a huge achievement coming from TCU and getting there, as no TCU receiver has ever been chosen in the top 20 of the NFL draft. Johnston was selected 21st overall.
Given his background and his humility, he's eminently coachable. He now gets to join the Los Angeles Chargers, where Kellen Moore is the offensive coordinator. He's known to be a great coach and tactician and helps young players grow. His quarterback will be Justin Herbert, ensuring that Johnson will get plenty of opportunities to show his worth.
The humble boy from Texas now gets to play under the lights in Los Angeles with one of the most exciting teams in the league. The last time he was there was in the SoFi Stadium for the National Championship, where he saw his team get blown out.
Now, he has the chance to create happier memories at the same venue. It has been quite a journey for him, and his parents remain the biggest influence on him.