A DuJuan Johnson All American tribute screen was shown during a season six episode of the hit football drama series, causing many of his to wonder who he is. Inspired by real-life football player Spencer Paysinger, All American follows a high school football star from South Los Angeles recruited to play for Beverly Hills High. While Paysinger made his name in the NFL, this is more of a fictional series influenced by events from the actual player's life, with a fictional character named Spencer James (Daniel Ezra) as the stand-in for Paysinger.
While not everything in All American is accurate compared to Paysinger's true story, the show did air a real-life tribute during in season 6, episode 2, "Public Service Announcement." This episode saw the team heading to their first game of the season, while Spencer's stress levels were at an all-time high. However, the end tribute allowed the CW television show to honor one of their own, and it was meant for friends and family to memorialize him at that moment.
DuJuan Johnson Likely Worked In The Locations Department In All American
Ozark Assistant Director David Ringey Also Paid Tribute To His Friend
The DuJuan Johnson All-American tribute played out during the second episode of the sixth season, "Public Service Announcement." The simple tribute card read: "In Loving Memory of DuJUAN JOHNSON, 1975-2023 ." Heading over to Johnson's IMDb page, it has a series of credits but nothing for All American. This includes work as a location manager on The Perfect Daughter (2016), House of Deadly Secrets (2018), and Nanny Killer (2018). He also worked as an actor and was a production assistant.
Just because All American wasn't listed on his IMDb credits doesn't mean he didn't work on it for the show. Film director Dan Ringey (first assistant director on Ozark ) posted a tribute on Instagram with his memories of Johnson, whom he said he met in college while they studied filmmaking. He then admitted that Johnson worked on more than his IMDb page indicated.
"We must have worked together on 20+ projects of all sizes before he worked his way into the locations department. He really found something he loved and where he felt comfortable. In the last few years, he built himself a serious career working on some of the biggest movies and TV shows. DuJuan in school would have been so proud of himself. I know I was so proud of him."
A location scout for a movie or TV show travels around the area where filming takes place and finds the ideal locations to shoot specific scenes. The locations team also deals with the contracts with the locations, and all local government permits are obtained to ensure that all rights are reserved for filming to begin with no obstacles standing in the way. There is no explanation for Johnson's death, but the All American tribute suggests that he left a lasting impression on the people he met.
DuJuan Johnson Isn't The Only Person All American Paid A Touching Tribute To
The Hit Show Also Paid Tribute To Kamar De Los Reyes
Kamar De Los Reyes tribute from All American
This isn't the nly time that All American paid tribute to someone with one of these title cards. The show had a second title card in the sixth season, this one for Kamar De Los Reyes. Unlike the DuJuan Johnson tribute, this was obvious to fans and hit many people hard. Kamar De Los Reyes played Coach Montes on the popular football drama. The episode "Mass Appeal" revealed that Coach Montes took a job in the NFL. His only appearance was on a phone call during the season 6 premiere.
A composite image of Amina and KJ smiling in the hall in All American Related
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That specific episode ended with the title card: "In Loving Memory Kamar De Los Reyes, 1967-2023 ." De los Reyes, 56, died on Christmas Eve 2023 after a brief battle with cancer. He is survived by wife Sherri Saum, with whom he had 9-year-old twins. Cody Christian, who plays Asher Adams in All American, had a close relationship with De los Reyes (via Entertainment Weekly):
"We would shoot all day and then spend a couple hours after shooting, just talking and catching up on life. I relied on him a lot. Just to have the opportunity to go in and work with him within those circumstances, to give him the respect and flowers he deserved, was a moment I’ll never forget."
All American showrunner Nkechi Okoro Carroll also spoke about his passing. "He was such a beloved member of our All American family," Carroll said in a statement to Deadline. "He brought so much love, light and joy to the set every day, even during his final days. We are so grateful for every moment he spent with us." Kamar de los Reyes appeared most recently in a posthumous appearance on Daredevil: Born Again as White Tiger.