Avery Johnson shatters $20K goal with help from BYU fans

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - After vowing to pledge money for his high school principal with every touchdown he scores this season, Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson didn’t reach the end zone in a loss against BYU on Saturday.

Doesn’t matter, though.

Johnson has already soared past his initial $20,000 goal to help Dr. Chris Botts, the Maize High principal battling stage 4 cancer.

Johnson has helped raise more than $40,000 as of Tuesday morning. The new goal is $80,000, which is within striking distance thanks in part to donations from ers of Saturday’s opponent.

Several outlets, including Utah’s Deseret News, have reported that donations from BYU fans played a significant part in Johnson reaching his initial goal. The newspaper reported that as of Monday afternoon, BYU faithful had pledged about $17,000. Some donated $38.09, the score of Saturday’s game in favor of BYU (38-9).

Botts was diagnosed with large-cell neuroendocrine thymic cancer in March 2022 and was declared cancer free in October 2022. The cancer returned in 2023 and has metastasized, though Botts has received promising results from a clinical trial.

Botts is flying to and from MD Anderson in Houston every Tuesday for treatment. He stays overnight in Houston every third Tuesday for chemotherapy.

Johnson graduated from Maize in 2022. His campaign to help his former principal began with the BYU game and continues the rest of the season. The Wildcats host Oklahoma State on Saturday.