{"id":437737,"date":"2026-09-16T13:38:21","date_gmt":"2026-09-16T13:38:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/437737\/"},"modified":"2026-09-16T13:38:21","modified_gmt":"2026-09-16T13:38:21","slug":"fort-worth-all-saints-athlete-mentored-by-former-tcu-kicker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/437737\/","title":{"rendered":"Fort Worth All Saints athlete mentored by former TCU kicker"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Fort<\/p>\n

Fort Worth All Saints kicker Carver Johnston and All Saints special teams coach Jonathan Song pose for photographs at All Saints Episcopal School in Fort Worth, Texas, Monday, Sept. 14, 2026.<\/p>\n

Charles Baggarly<\/p>\n

Star-Telegram<\/p>\n

FORT WORTH<\/p>\n

It was a battle of state champions.<\/p>\n

Fort Worth All Saints was taking on Dallas Parish Episcopal to start the 2025 season. Carver Johnston, a freshman, waited on the sidelines.<\/p>\n

It was unclear whether All Saints head coach Aaron Beck and special teams coach Jonathan Song, a former All-Big 12 TCU kicker, would call his number. Johnston was as inexperienced as it gets, never having played a snap of football.<\/p>\n

Not in high school. Not in middle school or youth football. Not even in a scrimmage.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was definitely nervous,\u201d Johnston said. \u201cThe only ever kicking I had ever done was in practice.\u201d<\/p>\n

In what Song called a game-time decision, the Saints took a chance on the freshman.<\/p>\n

Freshman kicker with the game on the line\u2026 <\/p>\n

IT\u2019S GOOD. \u201829 K Carver Johnston NAILS the FG to put All Saints up by 3 with 3 seconds remaining. <\/p>\n

Looking like All Saints will walk away with another statement victory in week 1. <\/p>\n

24-21 All Saints | 0:03 4Q@PTFFootball<\/a> |\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/mZo32HuJ48<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Texas Private School Media (@TXPSMedia) August 30, 2025<\/a> <\/p>\n

Johnston hit a game-tying PAT with less than two minutes remaining. He followed it up with a 23-yard, game-winning field goal. According to Song, Johnston \u201chasn\u2019t looked back since.\u201d<\/p>\n

A fast transition to football<\/p>\n

Growing up, Johnston was a competitive soccer player.<\/p>\n

He made the decision to try kicking footballs ahead of his freshman season. He suffered a hip fracture but recovered and persisted, fully committing to kicking. After only training a handful of moths, Johnston went on to have a strong season for All Saints in a run to back-to-back state titles<\/a>, making 7 of 10 field goals and 100% of his PATs.<\/p>\n

\"Fort Fort Worth All Saints kicker Carver Johnston poses for a photograph at All Saints Episcopal School in Fort Worth, Texas, Monday, Sept. 14, 2026. Charles Baggarly Star-Telegram <\/p>\n

Now, less than two years into kicking, he has earned national recognition as the only class of 2029 athlete to be ranked as a five-star in both major specialist recruiting outlets. Kohl\u2019s Kicking<\/a> rates him as the No. 4 sophomore kicker nationwide, while Chris Sailer Kicking<\/a> gave him a No. 1 ranking.<\/p>\n

Players with similar ratings have gone on to command offers from Power Four schools. For Johnston, that trajectory is familiar. His father, Brock Johnston, earned all-state honors at Burleson, kicked at the University of Houston and now serves as one of Carver\u2019s mentors.<\/p>\n

\"Fort Fort Worth All Saints kicker Carver Johnston stretches at All Saints Episcopal School in Fort Worth, Texas, Monday, Sept. 14, 2026. Charles Baggarly Star-Telegram <\/p>\n

Between his father and Song, Carver can constantly chat with proven, experienced kickers about training, technique and the mental aspect of the game.<\/p>\n

Song stays connected to Saints, mentors Johnston<\/p>\n

Having a high school position coach that\u2019s TCU\u2019s No. 10 all-time leading scorer is quite the luxury for Carver Johnston. Song ended his career as TCU\u2019s leader in field goal percentage.<\/p>\n

He doesn\u2019t have to stay at All Saints, but he works there part-time because \u201cIt\u2019s the family.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Fort Fort Worth All Saints special teams coach Jonathan Song talks to athletes at All Saints Episcopal School in Fort Worth, Texas, Monday, Sept. 14, 2026. Charles Baggarly Star-Telegram <\/p>\n

Song is what the All Saints community calls a lifer. He attended the school through his elementary, middle school and high school days.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of the coaches, these are guys that I played with or played for, and that\u2019s just the network that coach Beck has created,\u201d Song said. \u201cThe environment and the culture is that guys want to come back and be here, despite our daily busy schedules.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Fort Fort Worth All Saints kicker Carver Johnston and All Saints special teams coach Jonathan Song talk together at All Saints Episcopal School in Fort Worth, Texas, Monday, Sept. 14, 2026. Charles Baggarly Star-Telegram <\/p>\n

After TCU, Song played one season in The Spring League and made the difficult decision to leave his playing days behind him. But he soon stumbled upon another passion: the fashion industry.<\/p>\n

Song\u2019s full-time job is working at Men\u2019s Collection, a family business, on East Berry Street.<\/p>\n

\u201cInitially, it was just to help out around COVID time,\u201d Song said. \u201cAnd I fell in love with the best and worst thing in the world: working for your parents.\u201d<\/p>\n

Song\u2019s connections at TCU opened doors for Men\u2019s Collection. The shop fitted student-athletes for Big 12 Media Days, NFL players and LaDainian Tomlinson for TCU\u2019s version of the \u201cLT Slide, Electric Glide\u201d music video.<\/p>\n

Big 12 Media Day Fits \ud83d\udc38\u2705<\/p>\n

Thank you to @TCUFBPlayerDev<\/a> and @TCUFootball<\/a> for allowing me to come back and work with these student athletes! Appreciate y\u2019all fellas, and hope you enjoyed the fit! Stay healthy and best of luck this upcoming season! Go Frogs! pic.twitter.com\/PxYrxAKTXD<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Jonathan Song (@JSong_18) July 13, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n

Song is Fort Worth through and through. He\u2019s been in the city his whole life.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was just so fortunate that Coach [Gary] Patterson took a chance on me and let me stay home in the area,\u201d Song said. \u201cI never gave it a thought that I\u2019d be leaving Fort Worth \u2013 that\u2019s my home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"TCU TCU Horned Frogs place kicker Jonathan Song (46) makes the extra point attempt after Kenedy Snell’s second quarter touchdown as TCU beats SMU 56-36 in their annual Iron Skillet game in Fort Worth, Saturday, September 16, 2017. Paul Moseley pmoseley@star-telegram.com <\/p>\n

Now, he gets to train what could be the next great kicker out of Cowtown.<\/p>\n

Another former soccer player turned kicker, Song sees parallels in his path and Johnston\u2019s, but notes Johnston is further along as a sophomore than he was.<\/p>\n

\"Fort Fort Worth All Saints kicker Carver Johnston and All Saints special teams coach Jonathan Song mess around after kicking practice at All Saints Episcopal School in Fort Worth, Texas, Monday, Sept. 14, 2026. Charles Baggarly Star-Telegram <\/p>\n

Song said Johnston\u2019s talent and leg strength are evident. The little things he can pass down have more to do with approach. It could be a reminder to let muscle memory take over and not overthink, or pointers on dealing with wind and aim point.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m super fortunate to have a coach like [Song],\u201d Johnston said. \u201cHe is just a great guy to talk to. He\u2019s an incredible coach and has always helped me whether I\u2019m dropping my shoulders or just making sure I stay high on my kicks. Everything he has done has got me to where I\u2019m at.\u201d<\/p>\n

Inside recruiting as a kicker<\/p>\n

Brock Johnston, as Carver\u2019s trainer and father, wants to put him in the best spot to succeed. That involves time, private training and travel.<\/p>\n

Recruiting for kickers works a bit differently than other positions. While outlets like 247Sports track and rank top athletes, they don\u2019t focus heavily on specialists.<\/p>\n

The two outlets that do are Kohl\u2019s Kicking and Chris Sailer Kicking. To get noticed and evaluated, specialists need to attend their camps, as they factor in camp drills and competitions while considering trackable metrics like field goal accuracy, kickoff distance and hang time in their rankings.<\/p>\n

\"Fort Fort Worth All Saints kicker Carver Johnston goes through his kicking motion at All Saints Episcopal School in Fort Worth, Texas, Monday, Sept. 14, 2026. Charles Baggarly Star-Telegram <\/p>\n

\u201cThe main thing for kicking is getting in front of people,\u201d Carver said. \u201cIt\u2019s like a quarterback. You can watch film all you want, but you need to see someone throw. If they don\u2019t actually see me kick it, there\u2019s no recruiting that\u2019s going to be happening.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Fort Fort Worth All Saints kicker Carver Johnston and special teams coach Jonathan Song mess around with the football at All Saints Episcopal School in Fort Worth, Texas, Monday, Sept. 14, 2026. Charles Baggarly Star-Telegram <\/p>\n

With many things in life, it\u2019s more about building relationships. Gameday invites to Alabama, Texas A&M and Texas can be crucial opportunities.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat network and building that relationship early at Carver\u2019s age as a sophomore is pivotal,\u201d Song said. \u201cFor as highly ranked as he is, utilizing that and getting his name out there is huge. Because he has all the tools to be successful to play at the next level, it\u2019s just matter of getting his name out there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Song is a great example of a kicker building relationships, and how it can provide opportunity. His TCU connections propelled Men\u2019s Collection into being a go-to tailoring school for many TCU athletes and coaches. He also helps All Saints athletes look fresh for the homecoming dance.<\/p>\n

And now Johnston looks to follow in his footsteps. Maybe not in a suit and tie but with the same path to Power Four kicking.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything has come to the point to where I want it to be,\u201d Johnston said. \u201cAnd tons of credit to everyone that\u2019s helped me. Coach Beck and Coach Song for giving me the chance at that first Parish game. It meant the world to me. I was able to prove myself with everybody watching. \u2026 I\u2019ve just loved kicking ever since.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n \"Profile
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Charles Baggarly<\/a><\/p>\n

Fort Worth Star-Telegram<\/p>\n

Charles Baggarly is a high school sports editor and reporter for the Fort Worth Star Telegram. He graduated from TCU in 2023 with a bachelor\u2019s degree in journalism and served as TCU 360\u2019s sports editor. Connect with Charles on Twitter or via email.\n <\/p>\n