Johnny Drew, Jr.
Johnny Drew, Jr.
Johnny Drew, Jr., was born and raised in Grass Valley, California with the All-American childhood and dream of becoming a professional baseball player or fireman. But when Drew was 9 years old, his uncle planted a seed of courage, discipline and resilience in becoming a paratrooper and Drew immediately began shifting his focus on becoming just that.
In 1989, months before high school graduation, Drew took the ASVAB test and military recruiters began calling. When Drew told the Army recruiter he wanted to be a Paratrooper, he tried to dissuade Drew, warning of constant discomfort and road marching. Determined, Drew had his Dad sign an age waiver at the recruiting office since he was only 17.
After graduating Nevada Union High School in 1990, Drew left for Fort Benning, Georgia where he completed Army Basic Training, Advanced Individual Training and Airborne School (Parachute training) before finally living out his childhood dream of becoming a Paratrooper.
Drew’s first duty assignment was in Vicenza, Italy. At just 18 years old, being stationed in Europe, especially Italy, was incredibly exciting. He had the opportunity to travel and train throughout Europe during his time there, and even deployed to Northern Iraq for Operation Desert Storm/Operation Provide Comfort.
Following Iraq, Drew was stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina with the famous 82nd Airborne Division, serving as an Airborne Infantryman. In 1993, Drew attended and successfully completed the US Army Ranger School, earning the prestigious Ranger Tab. Years later, Drew was stationed in Alaska. It was there where he met his now close friend Travis Beck who was serving in the Air Force. Amidst all the beauty Alaska had to offer, outdoor fishing and snowmobiling, Drew got his first taste of the rodeo competing in Double Mugging and Chute-Dogging. After his service in Alaska, Drew was station in Korea before returning back to Alaska and finally deploying to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. A few years later, Drew deployed to Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom. Towards the end of his deployment in Afghanistan, Drew felt retirement was approaching, especially as hints were being dropped about his next assignment involving constant travel with General Officers. Drew’s response was “You can give that to someone else, I’m retiring.”
After serving in the army for 27 years, stationed in four countries, achieving the rank of Command Sergeant Major/E9 and earning numerous badges and medals, Drew retired in 2017 and transitioned into a new career as an over the road truck driver. Drew settled down in Purcell, Oklahoma, where he purchased a house and embraced a peaceful life. Little did Drew know he and Beck would reunite as neighbors in Oklahoma and Beck would introduce him to the world of roping including American Military Celebration (AMC). With no rope, no horse and no roping skills, Drew attended the Horns N’ Heroes roping clinic in November 2020 in Stephenville, Texas. For two days, while others were roping live cattle, Drew committed his time to honing his roping skills, diligently practicing with a stationary roping dummy on the ground. Unfortunately, after the intense sessions, his right shoulder became practically unusable but Drew said the turning point was when Charly Crawford awarded him the TOP HAND BUCKLE. This moment ignited Drew’s determination to pursue a career as a team roper. Just 30 days later, Drew made a significant investment by purchasing a horse, a horse trailer, and even a dog (Bobbie-Jo) to support his new passion.
In 2021, with his own horse “Louie” this time, Drew applied and was selected to attend AMC (now referred to as American Hero Celebration- AHC). Despite Drew’s limited roping and horse riding skills, Drew managed to catch and turn a steer alongside Junior Nogueira during the Pro-Am roping event. This first year accomplishment solidified Drew’s passion for the sport. After the 2021 AMC event, Crawford approached Drew and invited him to become an ambassador. As a result of the knowledge and skills Drew gained through Crawford’s roping outreach to military and first responders, Drew dedicated nearly every day and every weekend to participating in roping jackpots in Oklahoma.
Drew says “Team roping has changed my life and provided me with a sense of purpose and good company. Despite life’s challenges, team roping has played a vital role in bringing me peace in life and I hope I can do it until my final day.” said Drew.