Inky Johnson (born Inquoris D. Johnson ^[11] on February 12, 1986) ^[15] is a motivational speaker, author, and former football player for the University of Tennessee. ^{[2] [12]} He suffered an injury during a college football game which left him with paralysis in his right arm.

Inky Johnson was born on February 12, 1986 in Atlanta, Georgia. ^[15] He grew up in the Kirkwood neighborhood, living in his grandparents' two-bedroom house with 13 other family members. He slept on a pallet on the living room floor. ^[6]

According to Johnson, he was surrounded by drugs and violence.

Stability was non-existent, as his family moved five times in nine years, all within Kirkwood.

^[6] He wanted to break a "generational curse" by becoming the first person in his family to go to college.

^[17]

One night, a coach came across Johnson and his cousins as he was walking down the street.

The coach signed them up to play organized sports.

Johnson played football and baseball.

^[18]

While most kids would leave immediately after practice, Inky would stay later and work on football drills until his mother picked him up after finishing her night shift at Wendy's.

His hard work eventually got him recruited by the University of Tennessee to play college football. He was a cornerback for the university up until his junior year.

He graduated from the University of Tennessee on two separate occasions.

In 2007, he earned a B.A. in Political Science, and in 2009 he earned an M.A. in Sports Psychology. ^[25]

On September 9, 2006, Johnson suffered a career-ending injury on a tackle in against Air Force. ^[12] With just a few minutes to play in the game, Johnson went for a tackle and jammed his shoulder into the body of the Air Force running back. The hit caused permanent nerve damage in Johnson's right shoulder and ended his playing career. ^[6]

Dr. Russ Betcher, the team doctor at the time, discovered on the field that Johnson's eyelid was drooping, a sign of nerve damage called Horner's syndrome. Spotting the symptom allowed doctors at UT Medical Center to stop internal bleeding and ultimately save Johnson's life. ^[6] Surgery helped some, and even a trip to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota held promise. ^[6]

After his injury, Johnson became a motivational speaker.

^[2] Executives, sports teams, church members, and young people all benefit from the raw energy of his charismatic speaking.

Whether the topic is leadership, teamwork, or perseverance, Inky inspires his audiences to embrace the challenges of life.

He wrote an autobiography entitled, Inky: An Amazing Story of Faith and Perseverance.

^[21]

Inky lives in Atlanta, Georgia and is a devout Christian. ^[14]

He and his wife, Allison, got married on April 9, 2011.

^[16] Together, they have two children: Jada and Inky Jr. ^[11]