Early Years
Johnson was born in Helena, Arkansas, but grew up in Detroit, Michigan with his two brothers and sisters. He played sandlot ball with Bill Freehan, Willie Horton, and Dennis Ribant.
Johnson attended Northwestern High School, where he excelled as an offensive lineman for the school's football team. He received a scholarship offer to attend Michigan State University to play football for the Michigan State Spartans, but opted to sign with the Philadelphia Phillies instead.
Read more about this topic: Alex Johnson
Famous quotes containing the words early and/or years:
“Probably more than youngsters at any age, early adolescents expect the adults they care about to demonstrate the virtues they want demonstrated. They also tend to expect adults they admire to be absolutely perfect. When adults disappoint them, they can be critical and intolerant.”
—The Lions Clubs International and the Quest Nation. The Surprising Years, I, ch.4 (1985)
“Furnished as all Europe now is with Academies of Science, with nice instruments and the spirit of experiment, the progress of human knowledge will be rapid and discoveries made of which we have at present no conception. I begin to be almost sorry I was born so soon, since I cannot have the happiness of knowing what will be known a hundred years hence.”
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790)