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When did PJ Fleck know Tyler Johnson would be a star? During a pickup basketball game
By Paul Harvey
Published:
P.J. Fleck knew Tyler Johnson was going to be a star.
That’s not too surprising. After all, Johnson has prototypical size, strength, and athleticism you look for in a wide receiver. At 6-foot-2 and 205 lbs, Johnson is a menace for smaller defensive backs.
However, what is surprising is when Fleck first realized Johnson was destined for stardom. According to Fleck, it came during a pickup basketball game the summer leading up to his first season as head coach.
During a segment with the Big Ten Network, Fleck shared the story of how Johnson initially impressed him:
“My first summer, it was Year 1, and we invited all the players over to our house,” explained Fleck. “We had a basketball court in our front yard, and I figured we needed to evaluate. We need to find a way to get things going…I remember a ball bounces off the back iron. All of a sudden I saw a kid jump, catch the ball in the air and dunk it. And then I saw it was Tyler. I was like ‘My Goodness. This guy is going to be something.'”
You can check out the entire BTN segment below, that includes comments from Fleck, WRs coach Matt Simon, and Johnson himself:
"I said, 'this guy is gonna be something…'"
– @Coach_Fleck's first impression of @T_muhneyy10 was spot on, and now the @GopherFootball WR is making history for his hometown team: pic.twitter.com/Wnh2soEO74
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 4, 2019
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.