On the latest episode of Listen In With KNN on Fox Sports 1340AM, host Kelsey Nicole Nelson welcomed former Denver Broncos wide receiver Vance Johnson to the show.
His life journey began in Trenton, New Jersey where he was born in and then grew up in Arizona. Johnson grew up in a traumatized atmosphere as his father was involved in the gangs and streets to cope with the pain of losing his father at a young age.Â
“My father actually was really broken as he was abusive, a strong alcoholic, smoked weed and took different types of pills. I saw dad beat up mom and she always had black eyes and a bloody nose. My life was about achieving an identity and that’s when I started leaning on sports and became at a young age one of the best in the country,” he said.
Johnson won the gold medal for the United States of America in the Pan American Games when he was a teenager. He attended the University of Arizona to play football and run track where he beat legendary track and field star Carl Lewis in the 1981 NCAA Championship. On the gridiron, the five foot 11 multipurpose running back amassed 2,885 yards with 104 receptions and 31 touchdowns while also returning 62 kickoffs for 1,369 yards.
“One of my first plays in my career was going 99 yards for a touchdown. It was just an amazing time being back at the University of Arizona. Fortunately for me, I had a chance all the way through college just to be one of the best athletes on the team whether it was running track or playing football. It was about making that success in being famous,” Johnson said.
After his stellar college career, he was drafted in the second round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos. In Denver, Johnson became an All-Pro wide receiver and had 5,695 yards receiving and 37 touchdowns in 10 seasons as one of quarterback John Elway’s main targets. Additionally, he played with fellow receivers Ricky Nattiel and Mark Jackson and they were known as ‘The Three Amigos’. During his career, he took up to 60 painkillers a day, did drugs and drank alcohol.
“For me, people saw the edited version on the football field and off the field, I was broken. I was in so many relationships and ended up getting another woman pregnant and had a lot of domestic issues where I was violent with her. I was cheating on her by meeting other women, going to strip clubs, drinking and got into car accidents. Sometime between the first and second half, I would run all the alcohol and drugs out of me,” said Johnson. “By the second half, I was able to go out there and making winning touchdowns for John Elway.” It could be a fact that many people, including famous sports persons and celebrities, have gotten into trouble because of their addictions, whether it is related to prescription drugs or alcohol. A major concern that causes the most number of problems could be driving under the influence, as this has the most potential to not only ruin their lives but also the lives of others. Although there is plenty of legal help available to those to face such a situation, such as the expertise provided by lawyers from Salwin Law Group or similar firms, the emotional, psychological, and physical damage caused can take years to heal or may even last for a lifetime. It is therefore of extreme importance to realize the detrimental consequences that addictions can have, and take help as soon as possible to create a better life.
After his career ended, his addiction continued even after his oldest son died in a motorcycle accident. Then, he was in a coma for 28 days in a hospital and doctors believed he wasn’t going to make it. But on day 28, Johnson opened up his eyes and decided to go to rehab.
“You have to be broken because unless you’re broken, you’re going to be living a lie. If you’re transparent about this, you’ll be able to get help. It’s about breaking the stigma because we all suffer with some type of mental health and/or struggles. We need to be open to our counselors so that people can see your transparency being your transformation is going to be hope for somebody else,” he said.
Johnson has been sober since 2013 and is reaching out to former players to seek help. As a result, he built the Vance Johnson Recovery Center in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2019 and is looking to build more locations around the country. The biggest thing that Johnson has learned about himself was God having him as somebody special before someone else.
“I have to be the one to be there for somebody. So I’m willing to risk my life for the woman that I love and that’s exactly how I’m going to be for the rest of my life.”
