Avery Johnson and Kansas State fell three points short of victory during the first game of the 2025 college football season in Ireland. Unfortunately, the biggest headline of the day involved the quarterback’s brother and father.
Mark Johnson and Anthony Johnson got into a heated altercation after the loss, which escalated into an ugly brawl outside of the stadium.
A new video from the college football opener shows Avery’s older brother drinking what appears to be Guinness just moments before he and his dad went at each other’s throats. That might help to explain some of what happened.
Avery Johnson’s dad apologized.
The Cyclones defeated the Wildcats by a score of 24-21. Multiple concerning videos hit social media shortly after the game went final.
Mark Johnson, Avery’s father, was on top of his eldest son during a physical altercation outside of the stadium. They fought each other on the ground next to a puddle. At least one punch was thrown.
Kansas State fans had to step in to break up the brawl.
Kansas State QB Avery Johnson’s father was in a fist fight with his other son in the parking lot after today’s lose😳 pic.twitter.com/CID3V8DjmD
— The Voice of Reason (@reasonlocker) August 23, 2025
To be fair, I would much rather a player’s family fight internally after a loss than fight someone else. And of all places to throw hands, Dublin is probably the one.
It was still a bad look. The starting quarterback’s dad should not be fighting his brother in public under any circumstances. Take it back to the hotel. Or just… don’t fight at all.
They later released the following joint statement, which included an apology:
“We sincerely apologize for our actions following yesterday’s football game in Ireland. Senseless bickering escalated into an unnecessary fight. We have resolved our differences and take full responsibility for our actions. We have apologized to our immediate and extended family, and now extend our apologies to Kansas State University, its alumni, and fans. We regret this incident, have learned from it, and are committed to ensuring it doesn’t happen again. Please accept our deepest apologies.”
I am curious to see whether Avery Johnson is pressed about the incident by reporters in Manhattan. The Wildcats will likely chose to move on as if it never happened.
Avery Johnson’s brother was drinking something.
A content creator by the name of ‘American TJ‘ managed to grab Anthony Johnson for a brief interview during the fourth quarter. He provides commentary on American sports from a British perspective.
The interview, clearly intended to be a spoof, asked Anthony to pick between his brother and other star quarterbacks in college football. As you could expect, Avery’s brother took Avery in every single scenario.
It’s a very funny video! Anthony did not realize what was happening at first but he caught on in a hurry.
American TJ claims Anthony “was in good spirits around the 4th quarter.” That tune obviously changed at some point over the next 15 minutes of game time because Kansas State lost and he fought his dad.
I cannot say for certain, but it appears as though alcohol played a role in the brawl. It looks like Anthony, like most fans in attendance at the Aer Lingus College Football Classic, is drinking Guinness beer during the interview with American TJ.
It could be nonalcoholic. It could be something else.
However, the cup in his right hand features a Guinness logo. The liquid in the cup in his left hand is also the same color as the liquid in the cup in his right hand.