WICHITA, Kansas (KWCH) – When the K-State Wildcats take on the BYU Cougars on Saturday night, Maize fans will have all eyes on the game, hoping for a touchdown from Wildcat quarterback and Maize High School graduate Avery Johnson.

Johnson dedicates every touchdown he scores this season (passing, running or receiving) to his former high school principal, Dr. Chris Botts.

“When I had the opportunity to give back to him, I just couldn’t turn it down,” Johnson said.

Botts was diagnosed with large cell neuroendocrine thymic cancer in March 2022. He travels to Houston weekly for treatment, but Botts said he makes sure to be in school every week.

“So I get on a plane every Tuesday,” he said. “They all said it’s better if I’m here four out of five days than not at all.”

It was this commitment that inspired Johnson.

“What struck me most during Dr. Botts’ absence was that he had to go to doctor’s appointments because he was losing his voice and that he couldn’t make it to school. We definitely felt that a piece was missing,” Johnson recalls.

Botts said he felt honored.

“He would give the shirt off his back for anyone,” Botts said of Johnson. “He did the little things. No job was too big or too small for him.”

Botts is currently participating in a clinical trial and said it has shown promising results. Every step of the way, he knows he has the support of his former student.

“Whether it’s one dollar or a hundred dollars, anything you can do helps. And the most important thing for us is we need to score a lot of touchdowns because every touchdown this season is dedicated to him,” Johnson said.

The Wildcats and Cougars kick off Saturday at 7:30 p.m. PST/9:30 p.m. CST in Utah.

You can help Avery help Dr. Botts by https://champsraise.com/athletes/avery-johnson-ksu

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