"He's David with a slingshot."
All of it, he said, truly blossomed at Penn State.
Challenged by Joe Paterno, inspired by Todd Blackledge
Tim Johnson grew up one of five children, raised by a single mother in Sarasota, Florida.
She worked two and three jobs at a time to provide for them. He never knew his father.
He would eventually pick Penn State because of the discipline and accountability promised. And for the need of a father figure that emanated from Paterno and the coaches.
And yet he still felt lost there early on.
The turning point came from a faith-based gathering led by former Nittany Lion stars Todd Blackledge and Steven Wisniewski.
Johnson remembers Blackledge holding up a Bible and and speaking about redemption and grace.
"The way he was talking to me, it was something like I never saw," Johnson said. "And deep down there was a whisper in my heart, 'That's how I'm supposed to live.' Whatever he was saying, that was my way of life.
"Then he allowed guys to make a stand if they wanted to surrender their hearts and receive Jesus Christ as Lord. I got scared again. I hated hypocrites and I didn't want to be one. But I knew it was my moment, so I stood up and we prayed with God."
