Leo Johnson
Meet Leo Johnson! He is the charismatic and amazing father of NFL player Diontae Johnson. Her talented 5’10” wide receiver currently playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Johnson has been playing with Big Ben and the Steelers since 2019, prior to that he played college football at the University of Toledo.
Diontae born in Ruskin, Florida attended Earl J. Lennard High School, before committing to play with the Toledo Rockets at the University of Toledo.
The Steelers selected him in the third round (66th overall) during the 2019 NFL draft. He made his debut against the New England Patriots during Week 1.
Diontae’s momma, Felicia E. Boyer was born on March 28, 1977; Felicia gave birth to Diontae on July 5, 1996, he was five when she died on January 26, 2002.
Diontae grew up with his father Leo Johnson.
“I didn’t really know what was going on,” said Johnson. “During the time, and when I was getting older, I started to realize that I missed my mom. He just told me that I just have to move on and just keep my head up, and not to think about things like that, to stay positive.”
Leo (b. November 26, 1955) became mom and dad, the bond between father and son, became Diontae’s biggest motivation.
“I got up every day for him”, he went on after explaining that Leo still made time for his children in spite of the fact that he spent long hours at work to support them. “He motivated me every day, just by how he got up to go to work”
“This is about him. My dad always knew I had it in me. He just stayed on me whenever I wanted to give up. He didn’t like that. So, he stayed on me, never liked to see me down, and he always tried to lift me up. Just by him doing that, he made me the man I am today. I appreciate him for that”
When the Steelers drafted him, they both were overwhelmed with emotion.
“That was the first time I saw my dad cry,” said Johnson. “I cried. I didn’t cry at first, but when I hugged my dad, that’s when it hit me. When I came to hug him, we talked to each other, and it was just a good feeling to see my dad happy.
“There was also a lot of excitement. Just being able to experience this whole situation with my family, it’s been pretty good. Not too many people get to go through this. I just cherish every moment of it. I’m just glad I got to do it with my family.”
