Any time Tysheem Johnson broke free down the field as a kid, there was someone else racing beside him. It wasn’t a teammate or coach.
His mother, Shanaya Johnson, ran in sync down the sideline with her son’s every move.
During those Little League days in North Philadelphia, Johnson was a utility guy– where he regularly played on both sides of the ball.
“When he started playing just defense in college,” Shanaya said, “I asked him ‘Well what am I supposed to do now?”
She couldn’t run with him anymore. But she never stopped showing up.
“My mom put the family on her back,” Johnson said, “Doing whatever it takes for me and my little brothers to be right.”
That same presence grounded Johnson– from North Philadelphia, to now at the Bears.
“I’ve always told him to stay humble and keep working,” Shanaya said. “Don't give up even when the going gets hard– always stay humble.”
Raised by Shanaya, and introduced to football by his grandfather at the age of five, it didn't take long for Johnson to start making noise– letting his actions speak louder than words.
“He works so hard in-season and during the off-season,” Shanaya said. “He’s constantly chasing his dreams.”
Johnson’s discipline wasn’t just natural– it was modeled. Shanaya, a single mother of three, launched her braid salon in 2018. What started as a way to provide, turned into a successful business with nearly 200,000 Instagram followers and international clientele.
Watching his mom hustle, her consistency became his blueprint.
“[She has] hard work and dedication,” Johnson said. “She’s taught me that, but I’ve seen it with my own eyes… working three jobs, getting up early and doing whatever it takes... I put that in my everyday life to be successful.”
Because of this, he never let external factors dictate who he wanted to become.
“In Philly… people my age would make it to the high school or college level and then let the streets mess up their whole career,” he said. “I just looked at all the mistakes they made and I said I want to do the opposite. I want to put on for my city.”
Known in locker rooms for his dry humor and relentless work ethic, Johnson has become the kind of player young kids in North Philly can look up to.
“You’ve never arrived,” he said– a quote his high school coach, Albie Crosby, once told him that’s become a personal mantra. “I just look at that and I take that with me no matter where I go. I’m at the NFL right now, but I still haven't arrived. I still have to keep grinding, keep getting better, still try to meet the 53-man roster.”
As he begins his NFL career, it’s not just about football. It’s about staying grounded– the way his mom taught him.
“I could go on and on about how proud I am of him,” Shanaya said.
And she’s still right there on the sideline. Even if she’s not running anymore.
