Is Jeremiah Johnson actually 12? Texas football player with mustache, tattoos has Tyreek Hill, Twitter in disbelief

Joe Rivera

•
Is Jeremiah Johnson actually 12? Texas football player with mustache, tattoos has Tyreek Hill, Twitter in disbelief image

Has anyone seen "The Benchwarmers"?

As is the case with the internet, it's usually good to not believe everything you see or read. (No, there are no alligators in New York City sewers.) Taking things at face value with a good hint of skepticism is healthy.

Sometimes, though, there are things that go beyond any kind of logical explanation, and you just have to believe what you see. Take, for example, Jeremiah Johnson, a 12-year-old running back out of Fort Worth, Texas, who recently went viral for, well, looking at least 30 years old.

Johnson, who has a thicker mustache than most 40-year-old uncles and a tattoo on his forearm, drew disbelief from many across the web. That includes Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who weighed in on the situation Tuesday.

"If that 12 year old really 12 my son not playing football, these kids built different 😂," Hill tweeted.

Hill wasn't the only one in disbelief over Johnson's standing. Others weighed in on the perplexing, pre-teen Goliath in the wake of his arrival:

There's something of a mystery, but maybe not. Here's what to know about the 12-year-old terrorizing defenses:

How old is Jeremiah Johnson?

Well, it certainly appears as though Johnson is actually 12 years of age. The mustache, arm tattoo and his general Andre-the-Giant size as compared to the rest of the players he plays against cast some doubts over that, but he does play for a 12U team. 

Johnson plays RB and DE for the Dallas Elite Academy Dragons 12U football squad, and he's a four-time winner of the youth Heisman Trophy. (The size disparity certainly can't hurt.)

The team played for the Youth National Championship against the Orlando Jags on Dec. 11, and came out victorious. Johnson was named the game's MVP, leading to the viral videos and images of him holding the youth Heisman. 

Obviously, adolescents go through puberty. Johnson's Instagram shows just how much he's changed in a few years.

There's also the matter of the forearm tattoo which has people befuddled. It's unclear whether or not it's a permanent thing, after all. 

One thing is certain, though: He is definitely tall enough to ride the rollercoasters at Six Flags amusement park, and that's all a 12-year-old really needs in life.

Joe Rivera

Joe Rivera Photo

Joe Rivera is in his seventh year with The Sporting News, handling NFL, MLB and some things pro wrestling. A proud-ish Rutgers University graduate, Rivera combines a new-school flair with an old-school soul. He loves dingers, wrestling, comic books, movies, music and really bad puns. He is also a card-carrying BBWAA member and teaches Multimedia Sports Reporting at his alma mater.

You can find him and tweet him @JoeRiveraSN, if you're into that sort of thing.