Stevie Johnson will be the Legend of the Game when the Bills take on the Denver Broncos at Highmark Stadium on Monday Night Football.
Johnson, a wide receiver for the Bills from 2008-13 and had three straight seasons with over 1,000 receiving yards between 2010-12 while quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was at the helm. The two longtime friends reunited at a Niagara Falls elementary school to share Johnson's new children's book: "The Legend of Fitzpatrick – Mr. Nomadic."
Johnson began writing children's books over the Covid pandemic, seeking to share his stories as well as the friends he has made along the way.
"There's other guys in the league like Fitzpatrick and Fred Jackson who helped create these stories so kids can understand that there'll be ups and downs, there'll be bad times, life isn't perfect but you can get through it through support, family, friends and believing in yourself," Johnson said. "We're helping trying to change the world, one book, one kid at a time."
Johnson has long been involved in the Buffalo community and said the people he met in "the city of good neighbors" made him feel welcome when he entered the NFL as a rookie.
"The love, the loyalty. Through the good times and the bad times, they stay true," Johnson said.
Now that he is in his eighth year removed from his playing days, Johnson has enjoyed the game day experience outside of the locker room and off of the field. He gave an itinerary that, particularly for those new to Western New York, would serve as a legendary weekend capped off by a primetime Bills game.
"The pregame is where it's at," Johnson said. "First of all, just flying in, preparing yourselves to go to get some good food, some good wings and then hitting Niagara Falls because you got to see it. And then just being in the lot, there's so many things that's going on, it's like a party. It's just full of festivities. With me being like an OG in the game now, going to the stadium is a whole different feeling now, so that's electric and it's pretty cool seeing the evolution of the Bills organization."
With a 3-5 Broncos team coming in off of a bye week, Johnson hopes to hear Bills Mafia rocking on Monday night as the Bills seek to get back into the win column.
"Just to provide that spark," Johnson said. "That's as much as I can do right is provide a spark for the Bills Mafia community."
Johnson, along with former wide receiver Marcus Easley will be signing autographs at the Seneca Soundstage outside Highmark Stadium from 6-7 pm.
Get to Highmark Stadium early Monday night to hear Stevie Johnson lead the "Shout" song and hype up the crowd before the Bills take on the Broncos at 8:15 p.m.
