You never know when it’s your turn to be the hero, your turn to set a champion hungry football city on fire.
But everyone may dream, everyone may see them make a David Tyree helmet catch or a Malcolm Butler end zone interception.
And on an icy, windy night in Buffalo, it was Taron Johnson who lived out his dream and helped Josh Allen take another step closer to truly begin his Jim Kelly legacy.
It was Taron Johnson who intercepted Lamar Jackson for a six-yard pick that sent the Wissels to their first AFC championship in 27 years with a 17-3 victory over the Ravens.
It was Taron Johnson who made 6,700 fans of Bills Mafia, some of them bare-chested, make more than 67,000 fans sound.
It was Taron Johnson, a third-year cornerback from Weber State, whose young career was jeopardized by injuries, making him the biggest game of his life in the biggest game of his life.
“They always tell us, ‘Look at the quarterback’s vision, he’s going to take you where the ball is, especially in the zone,’ ‘Johnson said.
Jackson looks at tight end Mark Andrews. He chased the Taron Johnson in vain.
“I caught the ball and looked down, but then looked up and only saw a bunch of green grass on the right,” Johnson said.
He therefore had to make an important decision. “After I caught it, I definitely thought for a moment, maybe I should kneel it,” Johnson said. “At that point, I was like, ‘OK, this is one person I should beat, and that’s no. 8 on the other hand. ‘”
Johnson went straight to the AFC championship game.
‘I saw Lamar arrive, I slowed down a bit to let Tre [White] come before me, just to help me, ”Johnson said.
Marv Levy, who watched everything from his home in Chicago, was most impressed with Allen’s rise to the elite in his third season.
“I think just as much as she’s good,” Levy told The Post. “He listens well, he learns, he stays cool, even if something does not go exactly according to him.”
For a while, for half, enough Saturday night did not go Allen’s course.
When he was in the first half of the first half, he found Stefon Diggs with a three-yard pass that made Bills 10, Ravens 3.
Then came Lamar Jackson.
And in the blink of an eye, Lamar Jackson went.
Jackson converted a third and a 13 in midfield with a rush of 15 yards before Jerry Hughes, with Marquise “Hollywood” Brown wide open for the equalizer, pushed Jackson into a low throw.
Then Taron Johnson came here.
Lamar Jackson, the third goal and the goal on the 9th, threw an arrow for Andrews in the end zone, and the next thing he knew was that he was chasing Johnson on a dramatic 101-pick six.
The whole of Buffalo exploded.
It was Jackson’s first interception from the red zone after throwing 49 TDs in his career.
It was Johnson’s second interception in his career and his sixth pick.
Sometimes it’s a night for the Bruce Smiths and the Ray Lewises.
Or a Taron Johnson.
A feisty angle of 5 feet 11, 192 pounds playing bigger than him.
And just there and then it was over.
Jackson was down in his end zone after a bad turn and climbed to the locker room with a concussion at the end of the third quarter after landing on his head.
Tyler Huntley, an unknown free agent from Utah who threw five careers, did not bring the Ravens back completely. He instead deeply dropped a wide open Hollywood Brown.
There were nights that Jim Kelly did not do it alone either, and all the city cares about is the Chiefs-Browns winner.
Allen was not intercepted, threw no pick-sixs, and acted as before here.
No quarterback affected the game with his amazing legs, and a tough wind hampered the passing and kicking games.
Josh Allen is 60 minutes from a Super Bowl. The whole of Buffalo will believe he can take their bills there. Many thanks to Taron Johnson for being Jim Kelly.