Friends and colleagues of former Washington football lineman turned history teacher Tre’ Johnson are remembering him warmly.
Johnson died Sunday. He was 54.
Johnson taught history for more than 20 years at the Landon School in Bethesda, Maryland.
The school said he had been on medical leave in recent months and died of complications from ongoing health issues, according to a statement from head of school Jim Neill.
Johnson’s widow, Irene, announced his passing in a Facebook post, saying he died while they were on a short family trip. He leaves behind four children.
“If you know Tre’ you know what a devoted and loving father, he was to his children. Tre’ lived for his kid’s sports activities and supported them through every practice and game until he took his last breath,” Irene wrote in the post. “His recent battles with health issues forced him to take a leave of absence.”
John Bellaschi, director of ethics, service and leadership at Landon, worked with Johnson and said he was a true renaissance man.
“Tre’ Johnson was a lot more than a one-dimensional football player. He was an incredibly complex beautiful human being with lots of layers,” Bellaschi said in an interview with WTOP contributor Joe Yasharoff.
In its statement, the Landon School described Johnson as “a man of great intellect and curiosity; a person of forthrightness, honesty, and moral courage; and a teacher who cared very deeply about his students and matters of justice.”
“He struck me as being brilliant, intellectually curious, very free, independent, deep thinker, and with those qualities, he was really able to engage with young people,” Bellaschi said.
Johnson was a starter at Temple University, then was drafted by Washington with the 31t pick in the second round of the 1994 draft. He played for Washington through 2000, spent 2001 with the Cleveland Browns and returned to Washington for a final year in 2002. He was a Pro Bowl selection in 1999.
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