Stevie Johnson Keeps Giving Back

It is plain to see that Stevie Johnson enjoys this autograph session just as much as these kids do.

Last week the Buffalo Bills #1 wide receiver Stevie Johnson surprised two unsuspecting Walmart shoppers by paying for their intended purchases. The young women were helping their mother by doing her grocery shopping when they unknowingly found themselves standing in the check out line behind Johnson who moments earlier tweeted:

“bout to bless somebody at Walmart. (Whoever behind me in line won’t be paying for anything they have.) #thxbuffalo”

Before he payed for their $100 grocery bill he reportedly told the twin sisters that someone blessed him and that he wanted to bless them. The story is actually quite heartwarming, 2 sisters helping out their mother get a little break themselves by someone who just wanted to do a good deed. $100 may not seem like much for someone that makes millions of dollars,  but it is for those of us that are working like slaves to barely keep ahead, if we’re not already behind. There are a lot of family’s in this area where an extra hundred dollars goes a long way, and we are not all fortunate enough to have a random stranger pay for us to eat that week.

This is not the first time Stevie Johnson has payed for a random person’s purchases as just 8 month earler he paid for somebody’s flat screen television.  The move was quickly criticized as being a publicity stunt however because Stevie has an endorsement deal with the brand of television the young couple was buying. Although I do agree that having a deal with Vizio may have sparked him to pay for the T.V. when he saw them behind him buying it, I honestly don’t think it was any part of his endorsement deal. I think he seen that they were buying the same brand he has a deal with and decided to pay for it himself.

Stevie Johnson also has a 12 episode youtube mini series called Street Games with Stevie Johnson where he awards random people a few dollars to participate in silly things in an attempt to have some fun. The show probably isn’t going to be the greatest thing you have ever seen entertainment wise, but there are a few spots here and there that should get a good laugh out of you. Again it might not seem like much to give people $5 to go around wearing latex gloves and ask strangers ‘are you ready for your exam?’  but that $5 is buying somebody lunch and giving a little bit of relief to people that genuinely appreciate it.

For reasons I will never understand people are often very critical of Johnson, even when he is doing something selfless and kind hearted.  Stevie was a 7th round draft pick that blossomed into a star wide receiver, someone who I think legitimately feels blessed and is trying to make the world a better place $5 at a time. In a world where fans are often snubbed by professional athletes Stevie is not only stopping to shake their hands, he’s buying them lunch too.

If there was ever an athlete that deserved a little positive recognition I think its Stevie Johnson. Instead we seem focus on things like his excessive celebrations or his regular friendly smack talk towards the Patriots (which I love by the way). Johnson is truly a class act though, and it would be nice if we all gave him back the same positive energy he is trying to give everyone else. Its not very often you find an individual going out of his way to make a stranger’s day better, and Stevie Johnson’s effort gets a big gold star in my book.