Are Tez Johnson and Bo Nix Brothers?

Keyonteze “Tez” Johnson is a young NFL star on the rise. On the field, he is known as the ultimate underdog hero as the wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but to his family, he is even more special. Fans know that Tez Johnson and Bo Nix are brothers by adoption, but they may not know the full story.

The Kickoff

Born on May 18, 2002, in Birmingham, Alabama, Tez Johnson knew struggle and trauma from an early age.

“I’ve seen so much pain and hurt,” Tez told The Oregonian.

After his father died by suicide when Tez was just an infant, his family moved to Pinson, Alabama. Throughout his childhood, Tez says he “saw so much.”

“Most people call it the ghetto. I call it the trenches. Like, O-lineman and D-linemen are in the trenches? That’s what I call where I came from.”

“My mom was the one that always didn’t want us to see the bad stuff happening in the neighborhood as far as gangs or shootings and killings.”

It was around the age of 5 when his stepfather, John Posey, introduced him to college football – an Oregon Ducks game on TV. Tez was hooked.

It was then that – despite his tough upbringing – a dream took hold.

“I was like, ‘Mom, I’m going to Oregon one day. I’m going to play football,’” Tez recalled. “My mom was like, ‘Where’s Oregon?’”

Making the First Down

Seeing the passion of her son, but the trouble he was headed toward, his mother, Shamika, moved the family to government-subsidized housing to be in a safer community.

“[I was] hanging around the wrong kids,” he remembered, “Being a knucklehead around the school. But I was good at football. That was my peace. Football was my peace.”

Once he was playing for Pinson Valley High School, he met Bo Nix. Bo was a promising young quarterback whose father had just become the head coach. The first time Bo went to throw to receivers, Tez was on the field.

“The first memory I have of Tez is – I’d probably been on the job 3-4 weeks – and here comes, bee-boppin’, this little – and when I say ‘little,’ I mean this little, bitty kid,” Pat Nix told the NFL.

“And I’ll never forget, Bo said, ‘I don’t know who that little kid is, but he is incredible.’”

Gaining Yards

Soon after realizing Tez’s enormous potential, Shamika, Pat, and the high school administrators held a meeting. It was then that the idea of Tez staying with the Nix family was born.

“My dad thought maybe if he came over for a few nights, it would kind of help things out and give him a new perspective,” Bo explained.

Tez was struggling in school and getting into fights. His mom, Shamika, remembered thinking: “I got to get help.”

“That’s what Coach Nix and them did,” she later shared. “They provided help. They helped me with him. What more can I ask for?”

Tez has recounted his first night at the Nix family home. As they were driving to the house, Pat called his wife, Krista, to ask her to set an extra plate for dinner. Tez overheard that there was plenty of food, which was new to Tez.

“We get in the house,” Tez recalled, “And they were all at the table. And I knew right then and there; I didn’t want to leave. Because coming from where I came from, we didn’t really eat at a table.”

While his stay with the Nix family was initially meant to be a temporary arrangement, it soon became clear that he was becoming a part of the family.

“Didn’t think it was going to be more than a couple nights,” Pat said, “And the next thing we know it’s been every night since then.”

The transition to living with the Nix family was not a cakewalk. For the first three nights of his stay, Tez slept in his clothes.

“Growing up as a kid,” he explained, “I didn’t really trust a thing. And there was points in time at night I thought about not being there and just going away.”

It took him two days to admit to Krista that he had forgotten to bring a toothbrush with him.

The adjustment was short-lived, however. Tez learned – after Krista insisted – to help himself to eat when he was hungry.

Touchdown

As Tez grew close to the Nix family, his bond with Bo became apparent on the football field. In his senior year, Bo threw 10 touchdown passes to Tez and, together, they led their school to the 6A state championship.

Their relationship developed into a true brotherhood, even though the family never legally adopted Tez. They have explained that, while it was never a legal adoption, they use the term “adopted” to simplify their relationship.

“That’s why I am quick to say he does not wear ‘Nix’ on the back of his jersey,’” Krista explained. “But in our households and in our hearts, he is a Nix.”

Bo and Tez have considered themselves adopted brothers since 2017. Their shared love of football brought them together, and the two were reunited on the football field when Tez joined Bo at the University of Oregon. In their first college year together, they wowed fans as one of the most successful quarterback-receiver duos, completing 10 touchdowns and over 1,100 yards.

Making the Goal Line

While the decision to place Tez with the Nix family was not an easy one, it is one that Shamika knew was best.

“My child has been able to live out a dream and a life I wasn’t able to provide to him,” she shared. “If I would have kept him here with me, I don’t think he would have graduated high school, let alone go to college.”

Shamika has also shared that she had fears of her Keyonteze ending up in jail like the many others she had seen grow up in the projects of Birmingham.

“I think what I did for my child,” Shamika explained, “is I saved his life.”

Tez and his birth mother remain close to this day. He has said that he feels the love of both his families – his birth and adoptive families.

As for how Shamika feels about her son’s adoptive family, Shamika has said this:

“I appreciate them to the fullest. Because I feel like if he wasn’t with them, he probably wouldn’t have gone to Troy or Oregon.”

Learn More About The Benefits of Adoption

A Storybook Ending for Tez Johnson and Bo Nix

Today, Tez Johnson plays professionally as a wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while his big brother, Bo Nix, is a quarterback for the Denver Broncos. Despite playing on opposing teams, the brothers share an unbreakable bond and continue to see one another as family.

There are many other NFL stars touched by adoption. The Bo Nix and Tez Johnson story can serve as an important reminder that family is made from love, not DNA.

Learn More About Adoption

Whether you want to adopt a child or are considering adoption for your child, you may be touched by the story of the Johnson/Nix family. If you would like support with your adoption, contact Adoptions With Love today. Call 800-722-7731 or message us online for free, commitment-free information and support to begin the process.