Today we’d like to introduce you to Jabari Johnson.
Born and raised in Oak Cliff (Dallas, TX) and the youngest of two sons, Jabari is a shining product of Dallas ISD; from Mark Twain Elementary School to Atwell Middle School to Carter High School Honor Graduate. He’s earned Standout Student-Athlete, Team Captain, a 1997 McDonald’s All-American Nomination, All-State, All-Region, All-District. He is a 4-year College Student-Athlete who finished with two degrees and would go on to become a 7-year pro-basketball player and coach.
Jabari founded The Heads Up! Foundation as a 23-year-old with a “why” of using his platform as an athlete and mentor to impact young lives through sports and education. From the invaluable life lessons learned, the relationships built, and time spent doing something positive instead of negative – he believes sports saved his life!
As a former pro-athlete, entrepreneur, and philanthropist who has established several successful companies in the real estate, business development, and sports marketing industries, Jabari is also the visionary founder of The Heads Up! Foundation – a non-profit organization whose mission is to enrich the lives of youth through mentoring, education, and sports. He is a 2002 graduate of The University of Texas-Arlington with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and Communication Technology and a Minor in Spanish Studies. During his high school career at Dallas’ David W. Carter High School, he was an honor graduate and standout student-athlete, earning All-District, All-Region, All-State and McDonald’s All-American nominee Basketball accolades. After graduation from high school, he signed a full athletic scholarship to play at Louisiana Tech University where he saw significant playing time as a freshman before transferring to finish his college career at the University of Texas-Arlington where he was a standout All-Conference performer and regarded as one of the school’s all-time greats. Johnson notched over 1,500 points, 700 assists, 300 steals in his collegiate playing career. His sports journey continued on to have an all-star professional career in the ABA, CBA, and Europe. He also spent a year as a player/coach in the ABA. With an intense yearning to give back to others who need a lift, Jabari has served as a consultant to several high school and college programs across the country during his offseason. He has served as a player development coach for hundreds of student-athletes and has successfully assisted many prospects in obtaining athletic scholarships to college. Jabari has appeared in Global NIKE basketball commercials with NBA superstars Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd and has collaborated with some of the most prominent figures in sports and business.
Additionally, he serves as the Founder and Director of The Texas Hoop Summit – a College Exposure Combine and Showcase for High School basketball players who desire to play at the college level and beyond. He has been featured in several news publications including Dallas Weekly as one of the 25 Most Notable Figures to Watch in 2006-2007. Other notable acknowledgments include: Recipient of the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce; 40 Under 40 Leadership Award (2014); and the Dallas County Peace Officers Association’s Pinnacle Award for his outstanding service to Dallas County. As a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Jabari lends his support and talent to the various programs of the 100-year old public service organization. Mr. Johnson was a 2011 graduate of Leadership Southwest, a community service program dedicated to providing southern Dallas County with an ongoing source of diverse leaders who are committed to serving as catalysts and sustainers of positive change in their respective communities.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has been a ‘Job-like’ journey for me, both personally and professionally, throughout our 17 years of service as an organization. I’ve had to overcome and persevere through enormous obstacles and setbacks including:
– Career Changes
– Divorce
– Bankruptcy
– Lack of Funding
– Deaths of Loved Ones
Please tell us about The Heads Up! Foundation – what should we know?
I founded The Heads Up! Foundation as a 23-year-old with a way of helping youth use sports and education to impact their lives.
One of my proudest moments is when I started a youth Summer Basketball and Life Skills Camp, with many of my teammates, family, and friends served as volunteers.
This has since grown into dozens of year-round programs and services in 12 Metroplex school districts across five counties.
We’ve created over $50M+ in College and Career Exposure and Opportunities for thousands of Student-Athletes.
Our platform has produced over 50 athletic scholarships since 2017.
We’ve launched Citywide Initiatives that include:
-Hoops4Healing Initiative to help bridge the gap between law enforcement and the community
-Boosie’s Ballin Against Diabetes Celebrity Game to raise awareness to the Realities of the Diabetes disease
-Feed The Homeless Outreach Initiative with the Dallas Life Foundation and Pinkston High School Basketball Program
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Nothing can be done by anyone totally alone. I’m immeasurably grateful for the support I’ve had along the way. My personal ‘thank you’ list includes:
God, my family, my life partner, every Head/Assistant Coach I’ve had, the HeadsUp! Alums, our special HeadsUp! Volunteer Network, Dallas County Criminal Court #4, the DCPOA, and the greater DFW Basketball Community!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.theheadsupfoundation.org
- Email: info@theheadsupfoundation.org
- Instagram: @TheHeadsUpFoundation
- Facebook: @TheHeadsUpFoundation
- Twitter: @HeadsUpU
Suggest a story: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Starting a new project or business: One of our core goals at Voyage is to help small-businesses and creatives thrive. Having a strong online presence can play an important role and so we’ve partnered with some incredible designers and would love to help you launch a stunning, custom-designed website for your brand or project. Let’s Connect >>
