Sports can be brutal. We talk about the physical toll on the field, the smashed helmets, and the blown ACLs, but the emotional tax is often way higher. Especially when your family is watching. In August 2025, Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson found himself at the center of a social media firestorm that had nothing to do with his arm talent. It was about his blood.
The Avery Johnson family fight wasn't just some whispered rumor in a locker room. It was caught on camera. It happened in Dublin, Ireland, right after a gut-wrenching 24-21 loss to Iowa State. While fans were filing out of Aviva Stadium, a different kind of contact sport was breaking out in the streets.
The Dublin Incident: When Tempers Boiled Over
It’s one thing to lose a season opener. It’s another to have your father and brother go viral for throwing hands in a puddle.
Basically, the footage showed Mark Johnson, Avery’s father, in a physical altercation with Avery’s older brother, Anthony. It wasn't just a heated argument. Witnesses saw Mark take Anthony to the ground. There was hitting. There was rolling around in the rain. Bystanders had to jump in to pull them apart. Honestly, it’s the kind of thing you expect to see outside a bar at 2:00 AM, not involving the family of a star Big 12 quarterback after a neutral-site game.
Tim Fitzgerald of 247Sports confirmed the identities pretty quickly. The video spread like wildfire because, well, it’s shocking. You've got the face of a program trying to lead his team, and his own support system is literally breaking down in public.
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Why did they fight?
We don't actually know the specifics of what was said. The family kept that part quiet. Their joint statement mentioned "senseless bickering" that escalated.
Think about the pressure. Avery had just been stuffed on a crucial 4th-and-1 late in the game. That play basically sealed the loss. Tensions were already red-lining. In those high-stakes moments, sometimes the smallest comment acts like a match in a gas station.
The Public Apology and the Aftermath
To their credit, they didn't hide for long. Mark and Anthony Johnson released a statement through On3 shortly after the video peaked. They admitted the bickering was unnecessary. They took full responsibility.
"We have apologized to our immediate and extended family, and now extend our apologies to Kansas State University, its alumni, and fans."
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They even joked—or maybe it was a half-truth—about needing to stay away from the Guinness. Whether alcohol played a role or just raw emotion, the damage was done. Avery was left to answer for it, even though he was probably just trying to shower and get on the plane.
It’s Not Just a Kansas State Story
If you look at the history of the name Avery Johnson, this isn't the first time "family" and "altercation" have appeared in the same sentence. Different Avery, same headache.
Back in 2006, during the NBA playoffs, the wife of then-Mavericks coach Avery Johnson (the "Little General") got into it with fans in Phoenix. Cassandra Johnson was accused of being "belligerent" and allegedly took swings at Suns fans who were standing too much. Mark Cuban had to go into the stands. Security was everywhere.
It seems like when your name is Avery Johnson, the sidelines are never actually safe.
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Navigating the Noise as an Athlete
What does this do to a kid like Avery Johnson? He’s a sophomore. He’s the guy Kansas State is building its entire future around. He threw for 273 yards and two touchdowns in that Dublin game. He ran for another. On paper, he did his job.
But when your family makes more headlines than your stats, the "distraction" label starts to stick. Fans on Reddit and Twitter were ruthless. Some made jokes about "daddy issues," while others felt genuine empathy for a young man whose private family drama was served up as public entertainment.
The nuance of family dynamics
We see athletes as superheroes, but their families are just people. People who get frustrated. People who have old grudges. People who sometimes embarrass themselves in Dublin puddles.
The Avery Johnson family fight serves as a weirdly humanizing moment. It’s messy. It’s ugly. It’s something most of us have dealt with at a Thanksgiving table, just without the 4k cameras and the international flight.
How to Handle Public Family Conflict
If you’re ever in a situation where your private drama goes public, there are a few takeaways from how the Johnsons handled the "Avery Johnson family fight" fallout:
- Own it immediately. They didn't claim the video was AI or a "misunderstanding" of the physical acts. They said they fought and they were sorry.
- Keep the details private. They apologized for the act, but they didn't air the dirty laundry of why they were bickering. That stays in the family.
- Support the "Target." The focus had to shift back to Avery and the team. By taking the heat quickly, they tried to shorten the news cycle.
- Acknowledge the setting. Acknowledging that their behavior didn't represent the University or the host country (Ireland) was a necessary step for damage control.
The Wildcats had to move on to North Dakota the next week. Avery had to keep taking snaps. The "fight" became a footnote in a long season, but it's a reminder that the loudest hits in sports don't always happen between the whistles.