Eagles' OT, former Sooner Lane Johnson gives back to juco
Lane Johnson in "The Lane"
Kilgore Athletics
If you’re Lane Johnson, the only thing better than having a good time is getting back to your roots.
Johnson, the Pro Bowl offensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles and former Oklahoma Sooner, pledged $500,000 last year to his junior college alma mater, and on Thursday saw exactly what a half million dollars buys in Kilgore, TX.
Kilgore College staged a grand opening for the Lane Johnson Performance Center — “The Lane,” it’s called — a new state of the art athletic center facility.
Lane Johnson
Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
"It means a whole lot to the people around that can really utilize it," Johnson said.
Johnson, 30, toured the new facility, which is centered around a spacious new weight room and includes a trophy-case tribute to Johnson’s time at Kilgore, and also took time to speak to the team.
Johnson, a native of Groveton, TX, went to Kilgore in 2008 to play quarterback, but eventually moved to tight end. Oklahoma recruited the 6-foot-6 Johnson at that position in 2009, but then moved him to defensive end in 2010 before finally switching him back to offense in 2011, where he became an All-Big 12 performer at right tackle.
Lane Johnson blocks J.J. Watt
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
He was the No. 4 pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, signed a four-year, $19.85 million contract, then in 2016 signed a six-year, $63 million extension that made him the highest-paid right tackle in the game. After the Eagles won the Super Bowl following the 2018 season, Johnson in 2019 signed a four-year, $72 million contract.
Johnson became as popular with Eagles fans for his outgoing personality and fun-loving approach as he did for his punishing blocks. During the Eagles' run to the Super Bowl, he and several teammates frequently wore rubber dog masks to portray their underdog mentality.
Johnson said he hopes the new facility can help Kilgore build more elite players.
“You get here, man, there's a lot of hungry people,” he said. “It's survival of the fittest, people working their tails off.”
