By Nolan Ruth
X – @RealNolanRuth
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I will never forget the first time I met Jacob Johnson. The world was still wrapped up in the wake of the COVID pandemic, and I was a 21-year-old reporter just trying to break my way into the industry. Being from Aledo I knew about Millsap; that is to say that I had heard the name and knew it was somewhere in Parker County.
In the craziness of that 2020 season, I had heard from a colleague about a coach that was changing culture and working to put Millsap on the map in the Texas High School Football world. I followed that colleague out to Millsap alongside one of my friends who worked for me that season.
The Bulldogs lost that game 50-23 to an Eastland team that had a quarterback by the name of Behren Morton. Coach Johnson and I only had a brief interaction that night prior to the game. And if I am being completely honest, I did not think much of anything that happened that night as I left.
It was not until a year later that I started leaning into my Parker County coverage a little more and I started paying closer attention to the Bulldogs and their results. There was a three-way-tie amongst the final three playoff teams in the district that year and I incorrectly reported that Millsap had the 4-seed.
It only took about 10 minutes after that initial report that I got a DM on Twitter from Coach Johnson thanking me for the coverage and correcting me that the Bulldogs actually had the 2-seed going into the playoffs. I physically stood up from the table at Bobby V’s Sports Cafe in Arlington and raised my hands in the air in celebration. I felt true excitement that something good was indeed happening in Millsap.
That next week, I went to Birdville to see Millsap defeat Henrietta for the program’s first playoff win since 1999. That day was the day I truly met Coach for the first time. I made it a point to walk up to him pregame and re-introduce myself. I was incredibly touched by the joy in his face that I was giving his players and his program media attention, and he was incredibly grateful that I made it out to see them.
After the game, he did not just want to answer my media questions, he wanted to throw some questions back at me and truly get to know the young reporter that was putting in the time and effort to see his team that he was so proud of.
It was evident that he was much more than just a football coach. The way he spoke about each and every one of his players and members of his coaching staff told me that he cared about the people involved much more than the result, though like every coach, he did also want the result.
Then he turned the conversation that not many coaches openly do to the media, at least not as deeply as he did it. He started talking about Jesus. While most athletes and coaches briefly give thanks after big wins, Coach Johnson went deep into his faith and practically started preaching the gospel mid-interview.
That stuck with me, and it was the turning point of my friendship with him. The lines of communication were open from that point on, and we spoke on an almost regular basis. Coach Johnson’s faith was key for me in a time where things took a downward turn in my life. And it was clear that it was not an act. That man genuinely cared about every soul he came across.
Just prior to his diagnosis, and sometime after that playoff win against Henrietta, I personally reached out to Coach and asked if I could be praying for him. He mentioned he had a job offer that was very appealing. I had to put my selfishness aside because I did not want him to leave Millsap, but I did pray that the Lord would guide him to the best decision for him and his family. He never disclosed what the job was, and even if he did I would not disclose it now. But as I look back on his decision to stay in Millsap, I believe the Lord’s will was done and Parker County as a whole was blessed for that.
Two years later, after plenty of time building a friendship and starting to view him as a mentor, Coach was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Things changed quite a bit. He still answered my questions when I had them and he continued to be a coach that I publicly said “is building something that is going to be special.”
I will not go into specifics about seeing the changes that came with the diagnosis. I will say that through it all, Coach Johnson did his absolute best to emulate Christ. Even as his circumstances changed, his faith, his love for others, and his commitment to serving the Lord remained steadfast.
A few years later, after his diagnosis, I crossed the traditional boundary between reporter and source and trusted him with a personal situation of my own to pray for. I was dealing with a difficult life situation and I knew I could trust his wisdom. He spent over half an hour on the phone with me trying to understand my situation better and walking me through scripture. Before we ended the phone call, he prayed with me. Without detail, I avoided a decision that very well could have put me in a destructive place in hindsight.
He continued to serve the Lord in everything he did, and he did it all with every last ounce of ability he had. Over the years it became clear how much it meant to not just the football program, but the school and community of Millsap as a whole. Suddenly I had completely fallen in love with a place that just a few years prior, I hardly knew existed.
The most amazing thing was not the impact he had on Millsap alone, but neighboring communities. Throughout this difficult day, I have seen the outpouring of love from Brock, Garner, Mineral Wells, Peaster, Perrin and Springtown. It is clear that anyone who had spoken to Coach for longer than two minutes felt his love and kindness so much that they have carried it with them.
Jacob Johnson was not just a football coach. He was a loving husband to his wife Cassie, he was a devoted father to his daughter Payton and his son Braun. He was a pillar of his community. He was a devout follower of Jesus. He was a man who cared about every single person that crossed his path. He was my friend.
As I tearfully wrap this up and open my Bible for a verse to end with, I will end with the words that he used to begin his daily devotional in his final days. The same words I will forever hear when I open my Bible for my private study. “It’s Word Time. Best time of the day. How can we not be excited about God’s Word?”
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.” -2 Timothy 4:7-8 ESV
