Kendall johnson’s late father with him every step of his senior season at uab

By Steve Irvine

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - August 27, 2024

His father won’t be by his side, at least physically, but Curtis Douglas Jr. will still be a huge part of Kendall Johnson’s final  college football season. Johnson, a fifth-year senior defensive end at UAB, is certain of that.

“He will be with me every step of the way,” Johnson said of Douglas, his father, who recently passed away in his hometown of Jackson, Tennessee. “Every step. Every moment in the locker room, every time I do (pregame) walk on the game field, every time I’m on the bus, getting off the bus. He's going to be with me the whole time.”

No one had a bigger role in Johnson’s football life than his father. It was Curtis Douglas Jr., himself a former athletic standout, who was more into basketball than football as a youngster, that got his sons involved in sports. Kendall hesitated to play football at first, preferring to stay inside playing video games and watching television. His father gently coaxed him into giving the sport a shot. It didn’t go well at first.

He was six or seven years old at the time and already bigger than most of his classmates. His size dictated that he played with older kids. All it took was one really good hit for him to decide football wasn’t for him. He quit but returned the following year. His father was alongside the rest of the way, coaching him in youth football and continuing those football lessons at home.

“We were doing football 24-7,” Johnson said.

Johnson was a standout player at Liberty Technology High in his hometown but did not receive any recruiting attention, partly because of his slender frame. At the time, he thought an appearance in the postseason West Tennessee All-Star Game would conclude his football career. Instead, his performance got the attention of some smaller programs, including Tennessee State. He played in 27 games over three seasons at Tennessee State before searching for a new football home.

Last season, his first at UAB, he had 15 tackles and two sacks while playing in all 12 games. His 26-yard interception return for a touchdown was one of his highlights. He prepared himself during the offseason to take the next step as a player.

“I think first day of the Tennessee State, I was probably like 190 some pounds, didn’t know anything of drops or fronts or anything,” said the 6-foot-5 Johnson. “And now I'm pushing 260, running 20 miles per hour, recognizing offensive schemes. I feel like I've improved way more than my first year in college.”

Curtis Douglas passed away suddenly, the day before his son’s final college football fall camp began. Johnson hustled home to be with his family, particularly younger brothers Daveon and Caleb. Daveon, a 6-foot-3, 275-pound defensive lineman/tight end, is entering his senior season in high school. Caleb is 13 years old and also plays football.

“I mean, at the moment when it happened, the first thing I was thinking about is just I got to make sure my little brothers are OK,” Johnson said. “When I got home and you know have being around family talking it really opened up to that it's more than just me. Football, it can change a person's life 100 a percent. I was asking myself, what would he want me to do, how he want me to act and how he would want me to move on.”

A few days later, he returned to camp, ready to get back to work. With the strength of his father’s memory in his mind, Johnson put together a strong camp and will probably be in the starting lineup in Thursday’s season opener against Alcord State at Protective Stadium.

“I think about him every time (on the field),” said Johnson, who completed his degree from UAB this past spring. “I’m doing it for him. Every day, when I’m feeling down or feel like I'm too tired, I either look up or I close my eyes and say, “Give me the strength, Pops.’ Then I try to push on.”

Johnson said he’s also has relied on his teammates and the UAB staff to keep moving forward.

“When I got the phone call that everything happened until this day, I'm still having teammates, coaches, assistants and staff members checking up on me, making sure I'm OK,” Johnson said. “They’re pulling me to the side, giving me a hug, you know just making me feel like I'm not alone. In times like these, it’s easy to go be by yourself, get in your head and wander off. But everybody is doing just an awesome job of keeping me sane and just keeping me real conducive to everything.”