Turner Sports’ Ernie Johnson Delivers Inspiring Speech to Alabama Football Team: ‘Make Somebody’s Life Better’
Renowned for his work on Inside the NBA, Turner Sports’ broadcaster Ernie Johnson seems like a surprising fit as a guest speaker for the University of Alabama football team.
But according to Johnson, when you receive an invite from legendary football coach Nick Saban, “what time?” is the only response. Johnson proceeded to deliver an inspiring and powerful message to the young group of athletes.
? – Love You Too @TurnerSportsEJ
“Make somebody’s life Better.”#BamaFactor #RollTide pic.twitter.com/h7aN8YbLwj
— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) August 11, 2021
Johnson explained the importance of knowing your role on a team, comparing it to working with Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith on TNT’s Inside the NBA, which is broadly considered the best studio pregame show in sports.
“See, the reason our show is successful is because nobody tries to make it about themselves,” Johnson said. “Chuck’s never tried to do that. Shaq’s never tried to do that. And neither has Kenny. And God knows I’m not trying to, nobody cares what I think about a basketball game. I’m just trying to get us from Point A to Point B to Point C, and I’m trying to make these guys shine. It’s about knowing your role.”
In the video shared by Alabama football, Johnson tells a touching story of he and his wife adopting their first of four children from Romania, his son Michael, who was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy.
“Don’t take this boy, he’s no good,” the nurse told Johnson’s wife when they traveled to Romania for the adoption. But Johnson sees “value in everybody,” a sentiment that was shared by Michael’s high school basketball coach years later.
The coach wanted Michael to help teach the team “maximum effort” and “having a heart for others.”
“That heart for others runs deep,” Johnson explained. “Where you can lock eyes with a teammate and say ‘I’d do anything for you.’”
“Step away from your agenda and notice that there are moments that can make somebody’s life better,” Johnson told the Alabama players. “That’s all I try to teach my kids. When you wake up in the morning, how are you going to make somebody’s life better today?”
