Johnson eyes coaching career post-playing days
by Owen Yancher
Alexander Johnson is no stranger to highs and lows.
The UCLA cornerback enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2023, leading the Pac-12 Conference with five interceptions (the most by a Bruin since 2009). But after inking a guaranteed deal with the New York Giants earlier in the month as an undrafted free agent, the man that sportswriting pundits describe as a ‘turnover machine’ would be the first to tell you his road to success has been far from a cakewalk.
A Loyola High product raised in Los Angeles, Johnson formed a close bond with former UCLA head coach Chip Kelly, who recruited him out of high school as a late walk-on addition to the Bruins’ roster in 2018.
A committed basketball player until his junior year at Loyola, when he first tried his hand at football, Johnson’s fast progress on the high school gridiron garnered attention from the University of Montana, earning him an offer to play Division I ball in Missoula.
However, in a twist of fate, an unexpected coaching overhaul in Big Sky Country left Johnson out to dry.
Just a few months prior to his graduation, his lone scholarship offer evaporated when the Montana Grizzlies’ incoming football staff elected to recruit their own entering freshman class.
He was devastated.
“And that’s where my leadership journey really began,” Johnson explains.
Enter Kelly.
The former head coach of the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles had detected Johnson’s overlooked talents while scouting players in the Los Angeles area that fall. He’d already solidified his incoming group for the following season, but Kelly made a special visit to Loyola later that year – a visit Johnson says he’ll never forget.
On that stop in West Adams Heights, Kelly extended an offer to walk-on at UCLA. And Johnson seized the opportunity.
“That whole process humbled me,” he says. “I wasn’t the full-ride scholarship recruit and I wasn’t the fastest or strongest or even smartest guy.
“So I knew that I had to make a name for myself through my dedication on the field and in the classroom.”
And that’s exactly what the political science major did, landing four times on the Pac-12’s Academic Honor Roll, in addition to 12 additional nods as a UCLA Athletic Director’s Honor Roll student.
Two years later, after much toil and personal growth, the Bruins offered him a scholarship.
With an NFL career now on the horizon, he’s set to graduate later this month from the School of Education and Information Studies’ (SEIS) Transformative Coaching and Leadership Master of Education program.
Speaking with SEIS earlier this week, Kelly beamed with excitement when asked about Johnson signing a professional contract.
“Alex is everything you could ask for in a student-athlete,” Kelly said, describing his former protege. “He’s a self-motivated, lifelong learner who has invested in himself (and) will make a major impact on the Giants and any other organization he works with. I could not be happier for him.”
When meeting with the Giants this past year, Johnson was pleasantly surprised by the team’s interest in his hobbies and aspirations beyond the playing field. Interested in coaching following his playing days, he says the G-Men were impressed by his leadership acumen, fascination with history (his undergraduate minor) and teaching abilities.
Inspired by his older brother Christopher, a Harvard graduate that has been teaching English Literature in Brazil for the past decade, Johnson says he also won’t rule out furthering his education down the road.
“My brother has been one of my main motivators for pursuing my educational goals and getting this masters,” he says. “Growing up and watching him achieve what he has – it set the standard for me and my family and I’ve always looked up to him.”
Johnson says the highlight of his experience in the Transformative Coaching and Leadership (TCL) program has been repeated exposure to incredible guest speakers. Among his favorites who have visited classes to speak about their coaching and leadership journeys are Los Angeles Dodgers manager (and UCLA product) Dave Roberts and 14-time MLB All-Star selection Alex Rodriguez.
“There was so much to soak in,” he says. “You get to ask deep questions, not just surface level ones. And they’re open to continuing conversations. Speakers don’t just stop in and leave. We exchange information and stay in contact and talk about leadership and even business ideas.
“The TCL program was a blessing,” he adds. “Not only did I get to meet a bunch of incredible people, but I also got exposed to a lot of new ideas.
“In a couple of my early classes, we worked on baseline, ground-level leadership building. We had to create exercises that were transformational for new freshmen entering a program or transfers who might be scared to participate in team meetings.
“And I was able to apply those practices in real time with my teammates.”
The son of Crystal Leftridge and Michael Clemons, Johnson will join a handful of Bruin alumni in New York including fellow cornerback Darnay Holmes, recently drafted linebacker Darius Muasau and minicamp invitee and TCL peer Jake Heimlicher (defensive end).
Learn more about UCLA’s Transformative Coaching and Leadership Master of Education program.