Senior Scout Bowl Football Game To Be Held For Local Players In Memory Of Danny Johnson
HUNTSVILLE- A moment in time is helping change the future of many. A moment in time made up of sadness is now filling others with joy through the work of the Danny Kendall Johnson Foundation formed five and a half years ago soon after the death of the Foundation’s namesake.
Soon, the Danny Kendall Johnson Foundation will host the first annual Scout Bowl football game, featuring local football players who will have an opportunity to receive collegiate exposure from numerous conferences throughout college football divisions. Players who have graduated high school or are scheduled to do so in 2023 are eligible to participate in the game set to be played April 1 at Huntsville’s Milton Frank Stadium with kickoff at 7:00 p.m. The event has gained the approval of the Athletic Directors of both Huntsville and Madison City Schools, the Alabama High School Athletic Association and a bevy of law enforcement agencies from across Alabama.
The event will kick off with Media Night on March 25 from 7:00-10:00 p.m. at the Von Braun Center North Hall. The gathering is for the All-City/All-Region players, coaches, sponsors and members of the media with keynote speaker Jordan Matthews, the NFL player who most recently played for the San Francisco 49ers and who earlier starred at both Madison Academy High and Vanderbilt University. The event is free for the players, their head coach and two additional guests and will feature food, fellowship and a chance to hear from an experienced professional football player.
“The game will need 50 players to take part as the players will be divided into two teams for the first game at Milton Frank Stadium,” said Danny K. Johnson, Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation and father of the Foundation’s namesake. “This is what Danny would want.”
Danny Johnson was killed in a car crash on March 24, 2016, at 8:10 a.m. at the intersection of Alabama Highway 40 and Jackson County Road 124 in Scottsboro’s Jackson County. The 20-year old Johnson was a passenger in a 2011 Kia, which was driven by his girlfriend Selina Brown, 19. Their car collided head-on with a 1999 Dodge pickup driven by Travs Clifford, 21, of Dutton, Ala. Johnson was attempting to shield his girlfriend when he saw the truck headed at their Kia. It was determined the accident was caused by Clifford who was under the influence. Both Clifford and Brown survived the incident that occurred on a cool, cloudy morning.
Johnson was a sophomore at Alabama A&M where he was studying biology with dreams of becoming an anesthesiologist. He was a two-year starter for the Bulldogs’ football team on defense. His twin brother, Devon, was a wide receiver on the team before he transferred to Tennessee State where he became an All-American receiver. He currently works as a surgical tech at Huntsville Hospital.
Danny Johnson loved football. He attended Madison Academy, Monrovia Middle School, Sparkman and Johnson High Schools before making his way to college at Alabama A&M. The foundation named in his honor is chiefly operated by his parents Danny K. and Susan Johnson and the main goal is to change the Alabama State Law to increase the penalties for such crimes that caused the untimely death of the young Johnson.
“With the help of many we got the Alabama State Legislature to adopt the “Danny Law,” which allows law enforcement officers and first responders the right to swob a possible accident-causing driver for evidence of being under the influence instead of allowing that person to leave the scene of an accident and lose the effects of what caused them to be under the influence and become an impaired driver,” said Johnson. “We’re trying to do this right for Danny and the community.”
The Foundation is searching daily for sponsors which can help the efforts support through scholarships and educational summits. The efforts have gained the support of law enforcement agencies in all counties in Alabama, while Governor Kay Ivey is an honorary member of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees. One of the efforts of the Foundation is to provide young student-athletes continue their love for football through the Senior Scout Bowl.
“Every year we want graduating seniors to play in this game and gain tremendous exposure to help them in the dream of playing football on the next level, much like Danny did,” said Johnson, who is the author of the book “I Wish I Knew,” and is on the Advisory Boards for MADD in both Alabama and Georgia while he currently attends law school. “Each player will be a big part of the game and keep their uniforms after the game has been played.”
Registration for the April game and March Media Day is open. The fee is $750 for the Scout Bowl and free for Media Night. One half of the fee is tax deductible. You can submit an application, with photo, to seniorscoutbowl@gamil.com or at dannyjohnson914@gmail.com. Deadline for Media Night is March 20.
Registration deadline is coming soon and fees can be paid by certified check or Paypal. Additional information available by contacting Johnson at 256-658-9722. Players must provide their own helmet, shoulder pads, cleats and mouthpiece. Uniform will be provided via the fee. The Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) organization.
