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When Taji Johnson transferred to UB in spring 2024 to begin his graduate studies, he brought more than just his football gear and Southern hospitality. He brought a dream.

A former UB wide receiver and current mental health counseling student in the Graduate School of Education (GSE), Johnson has launched “Become a Bull,” a mentorship initiative connecting UB student-athletes with middle school students from Westminster Charter School on Buffalo’s East Side.

“This all started as a dream when I was in school in Boston College for my undergraduate degree,” Johnson says. “When I decided to change my life around and transfer to Buffalo, the dream came with me.”

The program, which began as a pilot event in spring 2024, has since grown into a recurring outreach effort. Once a month, Johnson leads a group of UB athletes into local schools for leadership development, mentorship and mental health awareness. Later that month, the middle school students are welcomed onto campus for a full-day immersion.

“We walk them through dorms, classrooms, libraries, and many of them have never been on a college campus before,” Johnson says. “We give them lunch, then do team-building activities in the arena or the indoor facility. The idea is that if they experience college before high school, they’ll start to believe it’s possible.”

“Become A Bull” helps build relationships, foster leadership and promote mental health awareness.

 “We want to show them that college isn’t some far-off dream — it’s a real, reachable goal.”

Originally from Marietta, Ga., Johnson says he chose UB for the opportunity to grow.

“I’m all about gaining new experiences and putting myself in uncomfortable situations,” he says. “I try to carry Southern hospitality wherever I go, and I believe in leaving places better than I found them.”

Johnson also has family ties to UB.

“I’m proud to be part of UB because of the legacy it holds in my family — my mom and older brother are both UB alumni. UB has given me opportunities to turn passion into purpose while honoring where I come from and who I am.”

Johnson’s personal mission stems from a generous spirit and a sincere desire to help others.

“I have an emotional attachment to helping people. My joy comes from the joy of others — helping them reach their goals,” he says. “I had great role models growing up. I want to be that for others.”

Johnson plans to put his graduate degree in mental health counseling to good use as a future sports psychologist, focusing on destigmatizing mental health —especially in athletics.

“A lot of times, athletes aren’t seen as human beings, but as instruments for monetary gain,” he explains. “That’s a very disruptive way to think. I want to help expand athletes’ emotional capacity and mental resilience.”

Through education and certification, Johnson is preparing to be both an advocate and a resource.

“I want to work in private practice and with an athletic department, eventually at the professional level,” he says. “Credentials are important, but adding in my own experience as an athlete makes it more powerful. That way, I can provide the best form of mental health awareness and help expand athletes’ emotional capacity and mental resilience.”

Watching a high school teammate struggle also made Johnson aware of the challenges faced by athletes.

“He had everything — scholarships, endorsements — but he didn’t have himself,” Johnson recalls. “Watching that happen, feeling helpless, drove me to make sure I had the tools to help others. So I got the knowledge and skills to help others — to advocate for mental health in athletes and beyond.”

Between coursework, athletics, mentoring, outreach and preparing for the NFL Draft, Johnson’s schedule has been relentless.

“I trained for pro day, which consisted of eight to nine weeks of early mornings, workouts, classes, my job here in athletics and Become a Bull. I was on the go nonstop.”

When life slows down, Johnson turns to yoga, Pilates and reading to decompress.

“My mom always told me to make time for the things you want to do. So I do find some point throughout the week to get a Yoga session in, or Pilates session in or just some breath work. Just taking time for those things is very important to me. I also picked up bowling recently — it’s my end-of-week time to relax.”

Since arriving in Buffalo, Johnson has embraced change, even while adapting to cold winters far from his Southern roots.

“I didn’t own a scraper when I got here,” he jokes. “But it’s been awesome seeing the seasons change. I didn’t have that growing up.”