Former Hokie TE and current owner of Johnson Commercial Development made good on a spring of 2013. $1,000,000 pledge toward the Beamer Barn.
"I wanted to certainly make an impactful gift and to 'pay it forward' to Virginia Tech," Johnson said in a release. "The school and the football program were critical in instilling the values that have served me well personally and in my business career. Team sports promote many positive life skills, including setting goals, persistence, dedication, sacrifice, accountability and work ethic – all of which have helped shape who I am today. I will be forever grateful for my scholarship and the opportunity provided to me. I'm fortunate to be in a position to give back."
The extra $25 is for the cost of the football he flipped into the stands after scoring a go-ahead fourth-quarter touchdown in the Hokies' 25-24 win over N.C. State in the 1986 Peach Bowl. Johnson's team-high six receptions were a catalyst for the Hokies' first bowl win.
"And the extra $25 in my gift is for [former equipment manager] Lester Karlin who has hounded me for the cost of that football since I threw into the stands in the 1986 Peach Bowl!"
MILLION-DOLLAR MAN Former #Hokies TE Steve Johnson makes $1M gift +$25 for this celebration! https://t.co/tRC709GqSo pic.twitter.com/Z6tywimJH8— VT Football (@VT_Football) December 8, 2016
"We were driving down the field late in the game for a go-ahead score," Karlin said in a release. "Steve catches this beautiful pass to put us up and Steve tosses the ball up in the stands. The ball boy comes to me and says 'I need a ball.' I said 'what the heck happened to the other ball?' He said 'your guy threw it up in the stands.'
"There are a lot of things an equipment guy never forgets, and this is one of them. I've been bugging the heck out of Steve every time I've seen him the past 30 years that he needs to pay for that ball, so I'm glad he finally did the right thing! I'll just consider the rest of his donation as interest due."
😂 😂 😂
Comments
I was waiting for this to pop up on TKP.
Steve Johnson was before my time but his gift is both awesome and hilarious.
I would gladly match his donation of $25.
Every
dollar helps25 dollars help.I'll donate a used football, with a value of about $25.
Well, that certainly helps get the new donation drive rolling. I sense that people are excited about the program.
Omg! I love i-formation plays and its aggressiveness. Old school.
Wood!
This is the guy who responsible for the giant Go Hokies sign seen in downtown Bristol during the BaB week. And the answer to why you didn't see a UT one. Homeboy bought it himself and hung it on his building. The best part was that the lighting contractor he hired to illuminate the giant sign is a Vol fan.
Also, did anybody notice the motion man double back and deliver a cut block to the one NC State player who could have blown up the play? MVP.
Kudos to him, owning a commercial development firm would be absolutely dope.
Sorry this is a dumb question but what does a "commercial development firm" actually do?
Obviously they develop commercials
I have people skills!!!
Large-scale developments for commercial use. Think Outlet centers, Business Parks, etc. Probably more commonly referred to as Commercial Real Estate Development.
So he's got street-c.r.e.d.
He built this (with an expansion and outlet mall on the way):
Kind of relevant because well Steve Johnson and BILL$$$
Any time he is referenced I feel that this tweet is necessary:
"I PRAISE YOU 24/7!!!!!!" the 24-year-old tweeted from his iPad at around 5:15 Sunday after the Steelers' 19-16 overtime victory. "AND THIS HOW YOU DO ME!!!!! YOU EXPECT ME TO LEARN FROM THIS??? HOW???!!! ILL NEVER FORGET THIS!! EVER!!! THX THO..."
I was at that '86 Peach bowl game. Great win!! Steve has done well for himself and his family. It's great to see him give back to the university and the program that helped launch his business career. This guy has helped raise money for some really worth while causes as well. He lives an breathes Ut Prosim.
Me, too!
Me three! My only Hokie bowl, glad we won.
This is probably mentioned somewhere else, but what's the deal with the new "Beamer 25" fundraising campaign? I saw it was on the field and helmets for UVA.
The next person with the actual answer will be the first. All we know is it's a campaign spearheaded by Beamer for next year and the Hokie club.
IP25AY
Not sure if anyone remembers this SNL skit from '92 (Stand Up and Win), but your comment reminds of it
Was your pic always Seinfeld, or did it automatically change when you used the phrase "What's the deal..."?
Have ya seen these guys?
It's to get the Hokie Club membership to 25K in the upcoming year.
This was relayed by Hokie Club/Alumni people at an Orange County Meet and Greet with Buzz and the basketball team after the Wooden Classic tournament.
I would love to see hell even 20,000 Hokie Club members but I don't see it happening. Too many people already complain about cost and benefit that don't give.
neither do I. HC is currently at ~11K, need 250% more members to join. Seems lofty, but I do think there is a large number of alums that can spare $100. The trick will be convincing these alums that they care enough about Hokie athletics to do so. And, I don't know if that'll happen.
Does the school provide a number for living alumni?
"More than 250,000 living alumni from every state and more than 100 countries."
so, ~10% need become donors.
https://www.vt.edu/about/factbook.html
It'll motivate me to join within the next month or so. Been looking into it more recently
Steve Johnson called me once and we talked on the phone for a little while.
^no sarcastica
Haha, I forgot all about this. He only called because he needed help with installing something on a job site. I just wanted you all to think I was cool...
I used to work with Marcus McClung, a linebacker on the 1993 Independence Bowl Team. I was an "expert witness" for him in a murder trial.
...I'm really hoping that he's an attorney and wasn't the accused.
Ha. Yeah, purposefully vague for comedic effect. He's the Commonwealth Attorney for Scott County, VA.
...so did you help him get the conviction?
Yeah, it was pretty open and shut though.
The extra 25 is a good touch.
It takes a good equipment manager to hound you for that long over a football tossed into the stands.
No wonder the program stayed in the black for all that time...
BOOM
How awesome would it be to run this play in the bowl game in a few weeks... I think we should install it.
The H-back coming back across the play and cutting the free DE is awesome.
Am I the only one that saw the total before reading the post and thought it was an homage to Frank?
Nope. I was right there with you...
Good donation and all, but does he really think $25 covers the cost of a football?
We need a "/s" font.
I think they'll be willing to overlook it.
DAMN it feels good to be a Hokie!
Now that we got the bills paid on the Beamer Barn, is Mr. Johnson aware of the financial situation here at TKP?
That was my first thought as well. As very least he could join. A largre-ish sized check would obviously be incredibly but I'd welcome the 80 bucks anyway
Ahh, so its like my mortgage P/I breakdown
Steve is a great guy. He's done a ton for VT, as well as Bristol. He's helped our economy majorly by building up the Pinnacle the way that he has, all while painting the movie theater and some signs orange and maroon.
I was at that game. Awesome! Lee Corso was in the booth on TV. First Hokie bowl win.
I also took a photo of that touchdown catch. I'll need to scan and post it.