By Steve Pate

September 23, 2009

Amid all the spectacular hoopla at Monday’s big blowout for SLANT 45, there sat Daryl “Moose” Johnston on stage with a former President and First Lady, Cowboys Hall of Famers galore, lovely school children and an orchestra.

Well past the days he blew open holes for Emmitt Smith, Johnston in his own way is still the ultimate team player.

He’s still the fullback, rolling up his sleeves so that others can shine.

That’s the role he has accepted now as Action Team Chair for the Super Bowl XLV Host Committee’s SLANT 45 program. Working alongside Gigi Antoni and her excellent Big Thought staff, Johnston has never wavered in his commitment to see the program blossom.

SLANT 45 is the service learning program that, under the direction of the non-profit, Dallas-based Big Thought organization, is one of the most ambitious undertakings in the history of Super Bowls.

Antoni, Big Thought’s President & CEO, has constantly marveled at Johnston’s rock-steady leadership and determination to provide some 20,000 North Texas children with the opportunity to discover more about themselves, as well as their communities.

In and of itself, the goal is a gallant one for all involved. Daryl Johnston also has his own personal reasons for plowing into this lofty task.

It’s in his genes.

“Education is something that has always been a big part of my life,” Johnston said. “My parents had ‘No Pass/No Play’ long before any schools were using it. Education and academics were always the Number One priority for us growing up.”

He was raised in Youngstown, in western New York. A football scholarship sent him to Syracuse, where he graduated with a degree in economics after earning All-American honors on the football field.

A second round pick of the Dallas Cowboys, he picked up three Super Bowl rings for the great 1990’s teams. In 1993, Johnston became the first lead blocker in NFL history to go to the Pro Bowl (he went to two).

Before Johnston came along, fullbacks who did not run the ball were never considered for the NFL’s version of the All-Star Game. Johnston brought respect to his hard-working position and raised its image in the eyes not only of fans but football old-timers.

Through it all, he’s always been there to help others. He’s been involved in the Special Olympics, the Children’s Cancer Fund, and the Cystic Fibrosis and Literacy Instruction for Texas, among others. In 1999, he was a finalist for the Whizzer White Humanitarian Award.

Upon retiring, Johnston and his family made Dallas their home. He is one of FOX Sports’ top analysts for NFL games, but he also remains active in North Texas communities.

“I’ve worked with literacy campaigns here in the state of Texas,” Johnston said. “I’ve always been happy to support a lot of educational components.”

Bill Lively, the North Texas Host Committee’s President & CEO, approached Johnston to see if he might get involved in an active fashion and help develop an education program around Super Bowl XLV.

“This was something very new and very different,” Johnston said. “I like the fact it’s going to empower the kids to be very creative. And it takes them step by step through the process.”

Even if a student’s idea for a project is not accepted, Johnston sees a learning benefit.

“If it gets accepted, fantastic,” Johnston said. “But, let’s say it gets turned down. They want to get back into the process and start all over again, and learn that a little bit of adversity is not something you give in to; you come back the next time with a better, more creative idea and maybe plan it out a little better.”

These are the skills a child can learn away from the game of football. The NFL has always looked for ways to better the communities that host Super Bowls. Johnston believes North Texas will set the standards very high.

“What we want to do is create an atmosphere where the North Texas region — not just Dallas/Fort Worth but the entire North Texas region — puts a template in place,” Johnston said. “With the Cowboys Stadium venue, the NFL is going to want to come back here for future Super Bowls. We want the fans who visit the city to come back here. We want people to hear what we’ve done during the course of the time we host the Super Bowl. We want them to come and learn about what we are doing.”

And the learning, thanks to lead blockers like Daryl Johnston and organizations like Big Thought, involves the children, too.