Former Orgeon Ducks wide receiver Tez Johnson had to wait quite some time during the 2025 NFL Draft before hearing his name called in the seventh round. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected him with the 235th overall pick. While short in stature, the film showed Johnson could find holes in coverage and that showed as he made Tampa Bay’s final 53-man roster.
After making his way to the NFL, Johnson had many to thank, and one of those people was his family and brother, Bo Nix. Let’s look at how Johnson and Nix became brothers.
Are Tez Johnson and Bo Nix Related?
Johnson had a tough upbringing outside of Birmingham, Alabama. His father died by suicide when he was just an infant. While he struggled, sports became a safe space. His love of football helped him meet Patrick Nix, Pinson Valley High School head football coach, and Bo’s father.
After getting into some trouble at school, Johnson’s mother arranged a parent-teacher conference that Patrick attended. After seeing all that the family was going through he made his mother an offer. In an interview with ESPN, Johnson shared that Patrick asked his mom, “What if he comes home with us for a few days?” That proposition changed Johnson’s life.
Tez Johnson finally gets to join his brother Bo Nix in the NFL ❤️
The Oregon wide receiver was selected 235th overall by the Buccaneers 🙌 pic.twitter.com/GWjnLd4SQ0
— ESPN (@espn) April 26, 2025
“Bo Nix is my brother, and I was adopted by the Nix family on the 23rd of April in 2018,” Johnson explained, “I literally never left. I got a bio family, and I have the Nix family, so I got one big happy family.”
Not only did Johnson get a place to stay and a stable environment, he developed a bond with Bo that went deeper than friendship. Johnson found a brother.
They developed chemistry instantly at Pinson Valley. Johnson started as a quarterback, but his speed and route running made him a go-to option for Bo. He brought in 62 passes for 1,140 yards and 12 touchdowns. They originally went their separate ways in college with Johnson staying in Alabama and attending and putting up big numbers at Troy. He eventually transferred to Oregon, where he met back up with Nix.
The duo helped unlock the Duck’s offense as Johnson’s 86-reception season in 2023 set a school record. Over two seasons, he led all FBS players with 1,353 yards after the catch. He amassed 2080 yards and 20 touchdowns on 169 receptions during his time in Oregon.
