The story of Josh Johnson, aka: Anakin Skywalker (JediSlayer455 on X)
By: John Dunn
Founder, Managing Editor, Producer, Host
The All Vol Call in Show
20240708
As a young man in a military family, Josh Johnson was born into Tennessee fandom. From a very early age, he was in the stands cheering on the big orange. The passion for Tennessee athletics was passed on from his father and remains a staple of his life to this day.
"I grew up in North Carolina in a military family. My dad was the VFL of the family. He grew up in west Tennessee around a bunch of different opposing fan bases. He always said he wasn't the rebellious type, he was just the only one who was right. He had me at games in diapers. My fandom started young.
My dad is a big man; about 6'7''. He's not the most agile man in the world, but I'll never forget him jumping out of that Lay-Z-Boy in 98' when Tennessee won the national championship. I grew up in the 90's in the glory days of the football program. A lot of these younger fans have never even gotten to see those days and it feels good that Tennessee is getting back to that.
Tennessee fandom has always been huge in my family. Being only about four hours away, my dad always made it a big deal. Me, my brother, and my sister were raised in it. It was easy for me to fall in love with. Growing up in ACC country, I was used to the "ACC bias" in my area. I played football in high school and remember demanding that we attended Tennessee football camps to get a taste of what real football was like.
A lot of the guys I played football with had never experienced football beyond a small town. It was amazing to be a part of the Tennessee football culture while attending those camps. It was coach Fulmer at the time, so it was an awesome experience to learn from a championship winning coach. The facilities were incredible, the team, and the atmosphere were as well.
While attending those camps, myself and my teammates got to see what real SEC caliber football players looked like. They were strong, fast, and huge. There was a player there that was running around in a tank top and had been there since about 5:30 that morning. One side of his chest looked to be as big as I was. It was an incredible experience for a group of young guys trying to get better. It worked too. That season I was an All-State selection and we won our conference for the first time in a long time.
VolNation is a term that gets used a lot, but it's really like an entire nation in and of itself. Tennessee fans show up and show out, no matter where a game may be; at home, on the road, or at a neutral site. I take a lot of pride in that just like the rest of the fan base. I wouldn't want to be a fan of any other team."
Follow Josh on Twitter (X): @JediSlayer455
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