Garrett W. Johnson (born May 24, 1984) is an American entrepreneur and award-winning

shot put The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. The shot put competition for men has been a part of the modern Olympics since their revival in 1896, and women's ...

ter. Johnson won the 2006 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Shot Put Championship, and was also named a

Rhodes Scholar The Rhodes Scholarship is an international postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom. Established in 1902, it is the oldest graduate scholarship in the world. It is considered among the world' ...

in 2006 on behalf of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. He currently serves as executive director of the Lincoln Network.

Career

Upon graduation from Oxford, Johnson served as a staffer for the Senate's Committee on Foreign Relations. In 2011, along with Ash Rust and John Fallone, Johnson co-founded SendHub a text message marketing company. In 2014, Johnson co-founded the Lincoln Network, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Academic

Garrett Johnson was the

salutatorian Salutatorian is an academic title given in the United States, Armenia, and the Philippines to the second-highest-ranked graduate of the entire graduating class of a specific discipline. Only the valedictorian is ranked higher. This honor is tradi ...

in the 2002 graduating class at Tampa Baptist Academy in Tampa, Florida, where he won multiple state championships. Johnson was a student in the FSU Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement (CARE), beginning in the Summer of 2002. He attended FSU, graduating

magna cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some So ...

in three years with a double major in

Political Science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...

and

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

. Johnson was named an academic All-American in 2005 and 2006 and earned the

Florida State Florida State University (FSU) is a public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher e ...

Golden Torch Award given to the FSU student-athlete with the highest

GPA Grading in education is the process of applying standardized measurements for varying levels of achievements in a course. Grades can be assigned as letters (usually A through F), as a range (for example, 1 to 6), as a percentage, or as a numbe ...

. Johnson, a scholar athlete, was named to the FSU Dean's list with a 3.5 GPA or better and the FSU President's list with a 4.0 GPA throughout his undergraduate career. Johnson completed a master's degree in migration studies as a 2006

at Exeter College,

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

Track and field

Shot Put The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. The shot put competition for men has been a part of the modern Olympics since their revival in 1896, and women's ...

* 2006,

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

Indoor National Champion (

) * 2006,

Outdoor National Champion (

) Johnson was coached by Harlis Meaders. Johnson was a finalist in the 2008 USA Track & Field Olympic Trials, but failed to post a mark, fouling on all attempts.

Personal life

Johnson resides in Florida and has been married since 2014. He serves on the board of directors of the Foundation for Florida's Future. Additionally, he is an advisor for the Cicero Institute, and a Steering Committee Member of the Tech Talent Project.

Awards

* 2004 Seminole Impact Award * 2004–2005 ESPN The Magazine Second-Team Academic All America * 2005 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar * 2005–2006 ESPN The Magazine University Academic All American of the Year * 2005–2006 ESPN The Magazine First-Team Academic All America * 2006 Rhodes Scholar * 2006

USTFCCCA The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) is a New Orleans, Louisiana-based professional association representing men's and women's cross country and track & field coaches in the United States. The organization has abo ...

Division I National Outdoor Men's Field Co-Athlete of the Year * 2007 Inaugural Frank Dolson/Penn Relays Award

References

External links

*
Garrett Johnson's Official USA Track & Field Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Garrett 1984 births African-American male track and field athletes American Rhodes Scholars American male shot putters Florida State Seminoles men's track and field athletes Living people 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American people