The Los Angeles Rams do a lot of background work on prospects leading up to the draft, putting a big emphasis on a player’s character and leadership traits. They find out any past troubles and accolades, while also contacting coaches to get their opinions on their former players.
When they looked into Clay Johnston, they probably found a connection to Brett Favre. Johnston went to Baylor and on the surface, it might be hard to see how his path crossed with Favre. However, it goes back to Johnston’s father, Kent, who’s good friends with Favre.
In fact, he’s such good friends with the Hall of Fame quarterback that he was the best man at Favre’s wedding.
Kent Johnston was a strength coach for 24 years in the NFL, including a stint with the Packers – which is where he grew close with Favre.
“My dad was really tight with him,” Clay Johnston said at the Scouting Combine, via Sports Illustrated. “He was his best man in his wedding so they became really good buddies. We were at his house a couple weeks ago, just hanging out in Mississippi. He’s awesome. He’s such a real dude. He’s so country. I love the guy.”
Favre called Johnston a sleeper in the 2020 draft before he was selected by the Rams, and shared a video of the Baylor linebacker’s reaction after getting the call from Les Snead and Sean McVay when he was drafted.
Favre knows Johnston’s game well and has known him off the field since he was a baby.
“I’ve got a picture of Brett Favre holding Clay like a football, acting like he was fixing to throw him,” Kent Johnston said to the Waco Tribune-Herald.
Johnston looks up to Favre and his jersey numbers at Baylor reflect that. He initially wore No. 44 with the Bears before switching to No. 4 as a senior in 2019 – an obvious testament to Favre’s iconic number with the Packers.
Being the son of a former NFL strength coach certainly helps Johnston’s chances of making it as a football player, being around the game since he was a little kid. He’s also worked out with the likes of Eric Weddle and Manti Te’o, who were with the Chargers while Kent Johnston was the strength coach.
Johnston still has an uphill climb to succeeding at the next level, especially as a rookie. He’s coming off a torn ACL, which he suffered in October, and doesn’t have the benefit of OTAs and rookie minicamp like a rookie would in a typical year.
But based on the way he reacted to being drafted in the seventh round, he’s going to do everything possible to make the team this fall.
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