Jasper Johnson’s Grandfather Realized Years Ago that he was an Elite Basketball Talent

Jasper Johnson signed autographs after committing to Kentucky. (Larry Vaught Photo)

Alvis Johnson was a high school and college football player and was the head football coach at Harrodsburg High School for 23 years. His two sons, Dennis and Derrick, played for him at Harrodsburg and then both played football at the University of Kentucky.

Alvis Johnson passed in July of 2023 but was never prouder than when he got to watch his grandson, Jasper Johnson, play in the 2023 state tournament for Woodford County and his wife, Rosetta, knew how proud he would have been of Jasper recently when he announced his commitment to play basketball at UK.

“I remember about six years ago when Alvis told Jasper, ‘You do okay in football and baseball but your sport is basketball. I know it will hurt your daddy’s feelings but you are going to have to eventually stop playing football because basketball is where your destiny is,’” Rosetta said.

Jasper’s father, Dennis, is now the head football coach/athletics director at Woodford County where Jasper played defensive back/quarterback through his sophomore season before giving up football. He played basketball at Link Academy (Mo.) last season and will play in Overtime Elite his senior season.

“Dennis, Derrick, all the grandkids respected what Alvis thought. Once he told Jasper that, he started concentrating more on basketball,” Rosetta said. “Alvis would be very proud that Jasper is who he is today. I was not surprised when Alvis told Jasper about giving up football. It’s hard to read Jasper sometimes but I know he appreciated what Alvis told him.”

If Jasper had committed to Alabama or North Carolina, his other top choices, it would have been harder for his grandmother, who lives in Harrodsburg, to see him play. However, her only advice to him was to “select a place where you feel comfortable” and not worry about the distance.

“It is not just all about playing basketball on game day. You watch the people directing you and do they care about you for more than bouncing a ball and are they concerned about you becoming a good young man of great character,” Rosetta said. “They don’t have to babysit you but they do need to show some genuine concern.”

She knew no matter where he decided to play college basketball that she would be able to see him and she thought back on how recruitment went when Dennis was the national high school defensive player of the year and eventually narrowed his college choices to Notre Dame, Florida and Kentucky before picking UK.

“When both Dennis and Derrick were being recruited we talked about it as a family,” Rosetta said. “I never asked Dennis where he wanted to go after he narrowed his choices. I think Dennis may have gone to Notre Dame but he chose UK in part because Derrick was UK. He said, ‘I don’t want you and daddy to have to go to more than one place (to watch the brothers play).’”

When Jasper was narrowing his list of scholarship offers to 10, his grandfather was already so sick he did not say a whole lot about it. He just wanted his grandson to be happy.

“I told Jasper to discuss it with his brothers, mom and dad and if they could come to a conclusion that was all that mattered no matter where he chose,” she said. “I also told him respect is always in style no matter where you are. No matter how high or how low you are on the totem pole, respect matters.

“Humbleness is a treasure. That’s what our parents taught me and Alvis. He’s from a family of 11 and I had a family of eight. Hopefully we’ve taught Jasper some of those lessons along the way and I know he went about this the right way and found what he wanted at Kentucky.”