Tiffany Johnson is the definition of a team mom. When Chesapeake (Va.) Oscar Smith charges out of its iconic Tiger Cage, Tiffany is right there, cheering them on. At kickoff, she’s planted on the 50-yard line, her voice echoing above the crowd. And when the final whistle blows, she’s on the field, wrapping her son, […]
Tiffany Johnson is the definition of a team mom.
When Chesapeake (Va.) Oscar Smith charges out of its iconic Tiger Cage, Tiffany is right there, cheering them on. At kickoff, she’s planted on the 50-yard line, her voice echoing above the crowd. And when the final whistle blows, she’s on the field, wrapping her son, Travis Johnson, in a big mama bear hug.
It doesn’t stop there — far from it.
Travis, the No. 15 ranked wide receiver and the No. 121 overall recruit in the country, had a slew of major offers before giving Michigan a verbal commitment on July 4. Tiffany never missed a step. She was there on every single visit, sat across from countless coaches and asked every question that needed to be asked.
“She’s been a great mother,” Travis said. “I know it’s been hard for her, but she’s always been there for me throughout this process and with everything in life. She is a great person to have supporting me. She’s done everything for me.”
A single mother, Tiffany somehow finds time to attend every game — and even some practices — juggle the recruiting process and teach sixth grade English.
Tiffany runs on a schedule not built for the weak.
“There have been times where I have to go to my principal’s office and say ‘hey, I’m going to have to be off every single Friday from this month to this month,’” Tiffany said. “Having a supportive administration really helped me feel comfortable. My principal understood. I’m very organized and have my lesson plans ready to go. But I’m a mom before anything.”
Tiffany has been living the recruiting mom lifestyle since spring of 2021. Her oldest son, TJ, was a three-star wide receiver in the 2023 recruiting class who signed with West Virginia before eventually transferring to Southern Miss this offseason.
Travis would tag along on all of TJ’s visits. But he actually had no intentions of playing football like his older brother. In fact, Travis stopped playing football after fourth grade as he opted to fully focus on basketball.
While Travis enjoyed traveling the country on the AAU circuit, his older brother served as a bit of an inspiration for a dramatic change. After years away from the sport, Travis decided it was time to buckle up his chin strap and return to the football field.
“I just wanted to play basketball,” Travis said. “But I started seeing my brother, and I just decided to pick football back up in eighth grade. I scored first game of the season on varsity my freshman year. Marshall was my first offer, then it picked up from there. Virginia Tech was at that game, and they came a month later.”
The fact that Travis had a gap in playing football, made an impact at Oscar Smith, a Virginia powerhouse, as a freshman and quickly became a blue-chip recruit is nothing short of amazing.
Tiffany, of course, was fully supportive of Travis’ decision and did everything she could to help her son excel.
“When Trav’s first offer came in, that’s when it really started rolling,” Tiffany said. “The light bulb came on because he was always in basketball. He cultivated a love for football, and, as a mom, I made sure to foster it by making sure he was training, getting to camps and getting him the best exposure. There have been a lot of sacrifices.”
Fast forward to now, and Travis is coming off a sensational junior season that saw him record 63 receptions for 1,053 yards and 17 touchdowns en route to leading Oscar Smith to a Virginia Class 6A state championship.
Not bad for the little brother who only wanted to hoop.
“I’m definitely working as hard as I can to be better than my brother,” Travis said with a laugh. “But I’ve learned a lot from him. He’s taught me to work hard, stay humble and keep grinding.”
And that’s exactly who Travis is.
While he likes to trash talk and hit celebration dances after touchdowns, Travis is as humble as you can get away from the field. He often shies away from the limelight and would rather spend time getting in extra work with his teammates than doing interviews.
But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t like to have fun. Travis has a five-star smile, cracks witty jokes and enjoys activities like bowling, gaming and fishing. He’s just your normal teenager who happens to be an elite athlete.
“He’s very personable and lovable,” Tiffany said. “Everybody wants him everywhere. I have to tell him ‘you don’t have to be everywhere you’re wanted.’” Every time we go anywhere, it’s ‘that’s Travis Johnson!’ Even when his older brother comes home, it’s ‘are you Travis’ brother?’ I think that burns him up (laughs). He’s always respectful. He’s very kind. He’s a gentle soul.”
Sounds a lot like a Michigan Man.
Despite earning offers from the likes of Auburn, Georgia, Miami, Penn State, Tennessee and plenty of others, Travis always seemed to gravitate towards Michigan.
“I kind of knew after we made two visits there in the offseason,” Travis said. “It felt right. I can’t wait to get down to Ann Arbor. Michigan is a winning program. They have a great academic program. They have great people.”
Both Tiffany and Travis’ father, Tory, who now lives in Florida, attended West Virginia in the early 2000s — Tory played tight end for the Mountaineers. It’s no surprise TJ initially signed there coming out of high school.
But West Virginia just wasn’t the right fit for Travis. Michigan was.
“I used to love my school. We were always welcome with open arms during TJ’s recruitment,” Tiffany said. “I spent five years of my life there getting my undergraduate degree. That love we felt at West Virginia is the same love I feel at Michigan. It felt more and more like home. Everyone is welcoming, and it’s genuine. I feel like it’s genuine energy. I didn’t go there, but it feels the same at Michigan.”
Travis ultimately made his own decision.
But if you want to win over Travis, you have to win over Tiffany, too. Michigan did just that.
“Why not Michigan?” Tiffany said with a laugh. “As a mom, one of the things I wanted was for Travis to be around men with integrity and strong character. I followed Travis’ lead with all of this, and Michigan checked all of his boxes. Michigan checked all of my boxes as a mom as well.
“These next few years are so instrumental in his life. He already has strong relationships with players on the team as well as some of the incoming freshmen. He’s already setting up to be home.”
Travis will look to lead Oscar Smith to its second straight title before he enrolls early at Michigan this winter. At 6-foot-3, 180 pounds, Travis has the size and skillset to make an immediate impact for the Wolverines and get significant playing time as a true freshman.
While Chesapeake is more than 700 miles away from Ann Arbor, you can bet Tiffany will find a way to be at every home game, cheering from her usual spot on the 50-yard-line.
Category: General Sports
