MIKE BURKE
Allegany Communications Sports
A lot of us here are Baltimore Ravens fans; but all of us here are Ty Johnson fans, and it is a beautiful thing.
Where were you on Sunday when Ty Johnson made The Catch? And if you go anywhere on social media you’ll understand it to be the current-moment viral version of The Catch; and should the Buffalo Bills go on to win the Super Bowl – a distinct possibility – Ty Johnson’s miraculous 4th-and-1 touchdown reception in the back of the end zone from Josh Allen will go down in Buffalo lore as The Catch.
Of course, Ty isn’t finished yet, is he?
To the surprise of likely no one, I found myself in a public house (after church, naturally) nursing a pint with a handful of friends and associates when Cumberland’s Ty Johnson became a household name throughout America’s football nation.
The Bills were leading the Denver Broncos, 13-7, in an AFC wildcard game at 3:15 of the third quarter with 4th-and-1 on the Denver 24, and while everyone sitting at the bar had one eye on the game between sips and the usual barside mumble, all eyes immediately shot to the game as a blue streak flashed across the back of the left end zone before popping up in triumph as the great Rickey Henderson would after sliding safely into home.
Ty Johnson had somehow caught the ball, which he said afterward was not the issue. Most importantly, Ty Johnson somehow stayed in bounds, and when the referee’s arms shot up to signal touchdown, all arms at the bar shot up in unison to signal touchdown; and with a great roar (much to the startlement of those in the dining room attempting a peaceful after-church lunch), the sipping had escalated and a round for the house had been called for.
“An absolutely ridiculous catch by Ty Johnson,” said Gene Steratore, CBS NFL rules analyst and longtime NFL referee. “He immediately secured the catch and had one knee down in-bounds just prior to his foot tapping out of bounds.”
“I’ve been saying it all year long,” Josh Allen told the CBS national television audience after the Bills had won, 31-7, “Ty Johnson’s the best third-down back in football. The things that he’s able to do for us, the way we communicate, him in the pass game, blocking and running the ball – he does it all. I’m so happy for him, so proud of him. He made a heck of a play. It was fourth down, no point in holding it, taking a sack there. They played man, and just gave him a chance.”
He had nine carries for 44 yards against the Broncos, averaging 4.9 yards per carry, with two catches for 26 yards and the score. He also had two kick returns for 59 yards, including a 33-yard return.
Ty Johnson had completed his best day as a professional football player and because of one jaw-dropping moment, the entire country is now in on our little secret – Ty Johnson is a pretty darn good football player.
It’s taken his entire life to become an overnight sensation. But as everyone here in Cumberland, Maryland can tell every single person in Buffalo, New York, it won’t change a single thing. When the Bills host the Baltimore Ravens Sunday night for a chance to play in the AFC Championship Game, Ty Johnson will still be the hardest-working man on the field.
Everyone here is excited for Ty and for Sunday. A neighbor, noting the Ravens cap I was wearing while taking a walk, said he was sorry, but he would be rooting for Ty on Sunday, to which I said, “So will I.” The barbershop was buzzing about Ty on Monday, and everyone in the shop other than the barber, was a Ravens fan.
It’s fitting that the Bills wear blue and red, because here in the former Fort Hill great’s hometown, Ty Johnson is supported with overwhelming bipartisan approval amongst the blue and the red, the same way Steve Vandenberg, Greg Hare, Mark Manges, Steve Trimble, Earle Bruce, et al. all were when they left Cumberland to perform on the biggest stages.
They are Cumberland’s guys, and all of the Cumberland area supported them, just as we do Ty Johnson, no matter which side of town we come from. It’s a beautiful thing.
Hometown players growing up to play against the Ravens is old-hat in Baltimore. Here in Cumberland, while it’s not entirely new – Ty did score a touchdown against the Ravens in Baltimore earlier in the season – it is extremely rare, particularly now with everything on the line.
A lot of us here are Baltimore Ravens fans, but all of us here are Ty Johnson fans.
And this is a beautiful thing. A beautiful thing, indeed.
Mike Burke writes about sports and other stuff for Allegany Communications. He began covering sports for the Prince George’s Sentinel in 1981 and joined the Cumberland Times-News sports staff in 1984, serving as sports editor for over 30 years. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on X @MikeBurkeMDT