KILGORE, Texas — Super Bowl LVII features two prominent East Texans who'll go head-to-head.
Whitehouse native Patrick Mahomes is set to lead the Kansas City Chiefs and former Kilgore College quarterback Lane Johnson will provide much needed protection for Houston native Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles.
Johnson played starting quarterback and tight end for Kilgore College during the 2008 season, his freshman year. Years later, he still gives back to Kilgore College.
“It seems like it was yesterday and it was 2008," former assistant, now head KC football coach, Willie Gooden said. "He showed up here from Groveton, Texas, and he was about 6'6, about 200 pounds. And the young man could eat and the young man was wiry, he was just driven."
Kilgore College was Johnson’s only offer out of high school, under then head coach J.J. Eckert.
“There wasn't a lot of people out of high school that really gave him a chance," Eckert said. "It was about believing in him, and giving him an opportunity to be able to get signed.”
That might have been the smartest decision Kilgore College Athletics made. 11 years later, Johnson donated $500,000 to KC in 2019 to help fund the construction of “The Lane” Athletic Performance Center. Former student Mike Clements also helped fund the 3,800 square feet facility filled with state-of-the-art weight and training equipment.
"When you come into 'The Lane' and we call it 'train in the lane," Coach Gooden said. "It's all about business. It's the same thing that he would do if he were here. He's all over the walls, we have a quote from him on the wall."
“I had nothing out of high school," Johnson said. "Those guys took a chance. And you know, coming from a place that has limited resources, that weight room can be used by multiple sports, not just football but basketball and girls sports. I know it means a great deal to them and they can use it to their advantage.”
Inside the walls of "The Lane," workouts are led by strength and conditioning coach, Zac Newbell.
"A lot of the things that we do in here help reduce the risk of injury," Newbell said. "We get great help from our athletic training staff. Our motto is MTXE. It's on all of our walls, it's on the back of our jerseys, and that stands for mental toughness, extra effort. That's the kind of mindset that we instill in our athletes through every sport here."
According to former coaches Eckert and Gooden, Lane gained over 40 pounds during his lone season at Kilgore.
"He went from quarterback to tight end to defensive end to red shirt," Gooden said. "And the weight kept gaining, next thing you know, he was an offensive tackle. Then you look up and he's the fourth overall pick in 2013 draft."
Johnson is hoping to win his second Super Bowl, winning his first title in Super Bowl VII. His accomplishments eventually landed him in the Kilgore College Hall of Fame.
"When we originally inducted him in October, we had no idea that the Eagles would be making the run that they're making," said KC athletic director, Courtney Pruitt. "So to have that name be present and he be a present athlete, not a former nfl player but a present athlete, it's great for recruiting, great for our coaches and our student athletes as well."
Super Bowl LVII kicks off Sunday, Feb. 12 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, at 5:30 p.m.