Tez Johnson’s past involved drugs, theft, and street warfare before Bo Nix’s parents brought the Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR home

Tez Johnson’s father killed himself when Tez was an infant. His mother, Shamika Posey, raised him with his brothers, Kevontae and Keywone, and their sister, Keynila.At times, he had no bed to sleep in and no food to eat. He often didn’t go home after school. Instead, he went to places he shouldn’t have gone. He admitted to being involved with drugs, theft, and street warfare in a recent interview with The Athletic’s Dan Pompei.If someone wanted to get into a fight, he would be the first one to be called. He wanted to become a mixed martial artist. But his story was being written elsewhere in Pinson.How Bo Nix’s family gave Tez Johnson a second chanceTez Johnson’s mother, Shamika Posey, sought stability, so she moved to subsidized housing in Pinson. That’s where Bo Nix met Tez Johnson. Bo was transferring to Pinson, while his father, Patrick Nix, was the head football coach at Pinson Valley High School.When Bo and Tez played together, Bo believed that something was special about Tez. But before they could transpire into something big, Tez’s mother wanted to send him to a juvenile detention center.Thank God, Bo’s father, the head football coach in Pinson at the time, saw Tez run routes and catch every ball thrown his way. Thank God, the Pinson principal asked Patrick to join the meeting with Tez’s mother.After four hours of discussion, the Nixes decided to host Tez for a night or two, hoping to ease his home stress. Tez felt uneasy walking into a family so different from him.Krista Nix, the mother of the Nix house, gave him two rules: tell her where he was going and say good night before bed. Those two nights that Tez spent at Nixes turned to two weeks, then two months, and the rest is history.Could Bo Nix reunite with Tez Johnson in the NFLBo Nix and Tez Johnson played together in high school and college. They even won a 6A state championship under Bo’s father, coach Patrick Nix. Unfortunately, they couldn’t play together in the NFL. But their love for each other remained eternal.They have stayed connected through calls, messages, and FaceTime. Tez hopes he eventually gets to play with his brother in the NFL too. Their gridiron story is of belonging, support, and a second chance. Isn’t that what Bo Nix needs now? Someone to stabilize his Denver Broncos wins.He’s had six wins and two losses so far into the 2026 NFL season. And he’s leading the AFC West division well above the Patrick Mahomes-led Kansas City Chiefs. But still, to shut down the critiques, he needs his gridiron weapon - Tez Johnson!Could there be a trade from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? Remains to be ascertained…Krista and Patrick Nix travel miles to support both sonsThe distance from Denver to Tampa Bay is about 1,515 miles. It takes 33 hours of driving and 3.5 hours of flight to cover the distance.But for Bo Nix and Tez Johnson’s parents, Krista and Patrick Nix, it’s nothing. Their sons play for different teams - Bo plays for the Denver Broncos as their NFL quarterback, while Tez plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as their wide receiver.There are four game-day timing overlaps this 2026 season - Weeks 2, 4, 11, and 14 - when the Broncos and the Buccaneers have the same kickoff time or just hours apart. Despite this, Krista and Patrick Nix support both their sons.According to MLFootball, the parents reportedly travel across the country every week to cheer for both players, ensuring neither son misses out on family support despite playing for different franchises at different schedules.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.