MJ 93-90 Foundation makes stop in San Antonio

Published 12:27 pm Tuesday, April 2, 2019

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Michael Johnson has successfully taken the MJ 93-90 Foundation outside his native Dallas County.

The first annual Michael Johnson football camp was held on March 30 in San Antonio, Texas.

Over 100 kids attended the first-time camp to meet the 10-year NFL veteran at John Jay High School/Science and Engineering Academy.

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I realize that the number is small because San Antonio has a population over 1.4 million, according to the 2016 U.S. Census. Some would expect high numbers into the several thousands.

From where I sit, there are several reasons for the small crowd in its first year.

One, Johnson is from Dallas County, not San Antonio. It takes time for an outsider to build a regional brand, especially in a city like San Antonio. To me, having any kind of attendance helps.

Two, residents want an NFL franchise, but the city has a hugely popular NBA team, San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs have captured five NBA championships in the last 20 years behind winning the NBA Draft Lottery twice with 7-foot All-Stars David Robinson and Tim Duncan.

Three, Johnson should get the city to sign a proclamation for the football camp. That goes a long way having the city’s support. Last week, I wrote about Selma Mayor Darrio Melton signing a proclamation for the Alpha Kappa Alpha’s chapter in Selma-Dallas County celebrating its 65th anniversary. Melton has signed several proclamations during his tenure.

I love one move Johnson made in having Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Josh Reynolds at the camp. Reynolds is a San Antonio native and played at John Jay before attending Texas A&M.  He was a fourth-round pick of the Rams in the 2017 NFL Draft and played in the last Super Bowl, a 13-3 loss to the New England Patriots.

The MJ 93-90 Foundation has come a long way since its formation and will only grow over time.