Brother J 

Floyd Johnson had the single greatest influence on my life during my BYU years.  We became friends during my freshman year on the football team in 1973.  I was raised to go on a mission.  There was never any question.  I had never considered medicine as a career but my mission convinced me that medicine would be a chance to work with and for people.  

During my junior year my mother told me she had met the woman she wanted me to marry while doing a fund raising project selling seafood with the Cougarettes.  I informed her that she was not picking out who I married.  I did meet the girl however and her name was Tannie.  Later I ran into Tannie again at the cheerleader tryouts and she told me her family really liked the seafood and would like to buy some more.  She called shortly thereafter and I asked her out. Seafood wasn't mentioned again.

During my senior year Floyd sent Tannie and I on many firesides together.  We went all over including Southern Utah and California.  Through this relationship Floyd got to know and really like Tannie.  I was one of a new breed of marriage procrastinators.  I just couldn't get the courage to ask Tannie to marry me.  We were both seniors and time was running out.

Floyd took matters in his own hands.  He gave me two boxes with instructions.  He said I should take her to the Provo Temple grounds on Valentine's day and give her the box marked Tannie.  I admit it wasn't a total surprise when she opened her box and it had a T shirt that said "Tannie Marry me love Mark".  But I had to laugh when mine said "I am a Lucky guy.  She said yes".  We married in September 1979.  We are happily married after 35+ years and have 3 kids of my own and 2 others that we raised.

I had a wonderful experience at BYU. Floyd Johnson had a special influence on many lives. I loved that man.  

I began working in sports publicity for BYU in 1976. Floyd was ageless; he looked the same with time-worn wrinkles when I started working until his passing.  I was amazed when I saw this older gentleman often lifting heavy loads of equipment with the strength and determination of a young man into his patented panel van.

I would weave my way through boxes, washers and dryers in constant motion to get jayvee football rosters completed.  I went behind the counter and always found Floyd working with his sewing machine or heat-pressing names on jerseys in the Smith Fieldhouse.  The backdoor to his equipment room was adjacent to racquetball courts where you could hear the balls bobbing against the walls. 

I sought Floyd’s help for the famed picture of Jim McMahon in the Heisman Trophy pose.  Floyd found me a pair of 1950 cleats with splits in the soles.  He specifically sewed a Y jersey and made the chinstrap for the leather helmet I received years earlier from my Grandpa Zobell.

Working with Floyd and Dave Schulthess gave me an appreciation for BYU’s heritage.  Trainer Rod Kimball, coach Stan Watts, business manager Floyd R. Taylor and Floyd Johnson were links to a bygone era of the many who contributed so richly to BYU’s tradition.

It was December 1990.  We had just left the military a year earlier.  My husband, Scott had one more year to finish up his Bachelor's degree at BYU.  We were poor (older) college students with four children under the age of eight.  Times were tight. I was thinking of a way to be creative for Christmas.  I couldn't figure out what to give the kids for Christmas on a nearly $0 budget.  I wondered if BYU had an old, beat-up football in the equipment room. 

I called the athletic department and was connected with Brother Floyd Johnson.  Asking him if there was an old practice football that wasn't used anymore, he was curious why and I told him the situation.  Brother Floyd responded, "Let me see what I can find around here."  I gave him my address and my thanks.

A few days later the doorbell rang.  There stood coach Norm Chow and a few football players.  They had a football with an envelope. The football was an actual game ball that had "BYU" stamped on it and had been signed by Ty Detmer and the players on the team.   I was a 1984 graduate when BYU won the National Championship, so to see them on my doorstep was a real treat.  They wished us a Merry Christmas, handed us the gifts.  I opened the envelope and inside was $500 cash in $20 increments!  I broke down in tears.

That was THE BEST Christmas we ever had.  To this day, I have that football in my curio cabinet.  It's a constant reminder to "pay it forward" and every Christmas we have for someone in need. We will always remember Brother Floyd and his generosity.  He holds a very special place in our hearts.  We will NEVER forget his kindness.