Chattanooga native to play 2023 Super Bowl

Patrick Johnson is getting ready to play the Super Bowl this Sunday

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — A Chattanooga native is making his way to the super bowl this year. Patrick Johnson is suiting up this Sunday for his first Super Bowl, a dream he carried with him since childhood.

Lucinda Millard is a first-grade teacher at St. Jude Elementary School. She said, “If we’d hit a little bump in the road he’d be like, Ms. Millard I’m going to be a professional football player.”

Ask any one of Patrick Johnson’s former teachers and they would tell you he always knew he was destined for greatness.

Jason Hill, Athletic Director of St. Jude Elementary School said, “Whatever path he decided he wanted to go, he was going to be successful at it.”

Johnson’s career started at St. Jude playing on any sports team he could. But his love was always with football. Dreams of playing on NFL fields fueled not only his passion for sports, but his character and attitude.

Charles Fant is the Head Football Coach at Notre Dame High School.

Fant said, “He hasn’t let the NFL go to his head, not any of that. He’s so appreciative of being where he’s at.”

Johnson was drafted by the Eagles in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL draft, and through his unyielding determination, he will reach his first Super Bowl this Sunday. But his star career does not stop him from giving back to his roots.

“He talks to me all the time, and says I love this, I love this. It’s a business, but I love what I do now,” Fant said. “And the impact that he has, he comes back here a good portion and talks to the kids, and all the kids around here know Patrick.”

Whether teacher or coach, Johnson’s former educators feel unending joy seeing him reach his goals.

“We wanna see these kids succeed in whatever their path is. We just want them to be successful and find their passion and for him specifically football became his passion,” Hill said.

You can find Johnson wearing number 48 on the field this Sunday.