Stevie Johnson didn’t do much on the field for the Bills on Sunday, but being out there at all was a feat on its own.
Johnson managed just one catch for four yards against the Jaguars — his worst single-game output since making just one grab for six yards against the Ravens in Week 4 — but he did so courageously under some tragic circumstances.
Shortly after the Bills landed in Jacksonville on Saturday afternoon, Johnson received a call informing him that his mother had died unexpectedly at home in California earlier in the day. After a long conversation with head coach Doug Marrone, Johnson decided to honor his mother the best way he knew how — by playing on Sunday.
“I spent a lot of time with coach Marrone and we just sat and talked,” Johnson said, via BuffaloBills.com. “We talked about everything. It wasn’t about football. I felt good about it. He talked to me like I was his son or something. He made me feel comfortable with my decision whichever way it went, whether it was to fly right back or stay. I felt like we’ve got business here and I’m here already so let’s take care of business and we’ll deal with everything else after the game.”
Johnson will travel back to California for his mother’s services this week.
Check out a photo of Johnson, who inscribed “Hi Mom” no his eyeblack for Sunday’s game, below.
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