MAX Johnson, 24, has completed a remarkable recovery to star for North Carolina on Monday night.
The quarterback returned to action as former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, 73, made his college football debut.
Max Johnson returned to action for North Carolina on Monday night[/caption]
Johnson had to learn to walk again after suffering a fractured femur[/caption]
Belichick’s UNC suffered an embarrassing 48-14 loss against the TCU Horned Frogs.
Despite this, there was a silver lining for the Tar Heels as Johnson returned to action after a horror leg break.
Johnson suffered a femur fracture on his UNC debut in their 2024 season-opener against Minnesota.
The quarterback is the son of Super Bowl XXXVII winner, Brad, 56.
He was forced to miss the remainder of the season, having only just transferred from Texas A&M.
Johnson’s leg break was so intense that his parents relocated to an apartment in Chapel Hill to assist their son’s recovery.
The quarterback had to endure a whopping five surgeries to fix his broken leg.
His injury was so gruesome that his leg was almost amputated.
He spent three hours a day rehabilitating his injury, allowing him to make his comeback just a year later.
It is a significant silver lining for the Tar Heels as head coach Belichick claimed an unwanted record in his college debut.
His team shipped a whopping 48 points – the most that Belichick has ever conceded in a single game.
Johnson managed a total of just nine completed passes from 11 attempts on his return to the college game.
This accumulated to a total of 103 yards – more than half of that achieved by his opposite man, Josh Hoover, 21.
Running back Caleb Hood claimed the opening touchdown of the game for the Tar Heels, briefly leading the Horned Frogs 7-0 in the first quarter.
While TCU went on to overwhelm UNC, Johnson created a moment to remember for his family.
Johnson almost needed his leg amputated after the injury last season[/caption]
The Tar Heels closed their night’s account in the third quarter as Johnson threw a two-yard pass to his younger brother, Jake, 22.
Jake had followed the quarterback from Texas A&M to UNC, finally reuniting on-field after his older brother’s impressive recovery.
Both brothers are expected to have increased roles for the Tar Heels this season.
With his older brother sidelined, tight end Jake managed just 21 yards from two receptions last year.
The Johnson brothers are expected to be back in action on Saturday as UNC look to bounce back on the road against Charlotte.
