Defensive tackle Toby Johnson posed for a photo with his two biggest fans, Glen and Christi Grunwald, prior to the Vikings-Texans game.

The couple wore matching No. 90 jerseys – she in purple, he in white – and when they turned around, name plates across the shoulders read "Toby's Mom" and "Toby's Dad."

Christi and Glen may not share a last name with Johnson, but the three share an incredible connection. 

"We're just so proud of him," Glen said. "Being at the game was just surreal to us, to look around and say, 'Wow.' Because we met him on a junior college campus."

When Johnson moved to Kansas to play football at Hutchinson Community College, he and his teammates were paired with host families. Enter the Grunwalds.

"With the host family, you could go over and get a Sunday meal, go to church with them, wash clothes, stuff like that. Just simple stuff," Johnson explained. "But I didn't let them get close with me."

Glen confirmed Johnson's story, saying the defensive lineman paid his weekly visits but generally kept his distance emotionally.

Things changed, however, when Johnson suffered a knee injury in 2012. Glen and Christi were on a trip to Italy when they received word of the injury, and as soon as they returned, they checked in with Johnson, who would be undergoing surgery. Realizing Johnson had no family members alongside for the procedure, Glen asked if Johnson would like him to be there at the hospital.

"I didn't really have anybody," Johnson said. "They were the only people that were really there for me. They were there for my surgery, they were there when I got out, everything."

And it didn't stop there.

Glen and Christi opened their home full-time to Johnson, who moved in with them while recovering. Glen drove Johnson to his rehab appointments, and the two started bonding and forming a deeper relationship.

Around the same time, Johnson hit some academic snags.

The Grunwalds, who knew Johnson hoped to go on and play at a D1 school, cared too much about Johnson to allow him to "go in the tank," as he referred to the experience.

"They were the people who got me motivated again," Johnson said. "They told me I was going to graduate […] they helped set up tutoring and everything."

Added Johnson with a laugh, "They were just on me."

To help Johnson stay driven, Christi filled a jar at home with marbles. Each marble signified one day, and Johnson removed a marble daily in countdown to graduation.

"We just helped him get focused a little bit on his homework," Glen said.

Johnson went on to graduate from Hutchinson, earning a 3.1 GPA that final semester.

"It just showed Toby, 'If you get focused, you can do this,' " said Glen, who also supported Johnson when he went on to play at the University of Georgia.

Throughout the time that Johnson lived with the Grunwalds, the three of them developed a bond that went much beyond "host" family. They became, simply, family.

Meals around the dinner table became an important part of the day, and it remains a favorite activity for all three of them when they see each other. Glen and Johnson each rave about Christi's cooking.

"She likes to make Toby's favorites," Glen said. "He loves fresh asparagus that's either been grilled on an oven or on an outside cooker with olive oil drizzled and everything like that.

"He would send us pictures from Georgia of asparagus," Glen added, laughing. "He'd tell us, 'They don't know how to cook it here like you do.' "

During his two seasons at Georgia, Johnson stayed in regular contact with Glen and Christi. They traveled to watch games whenever they could, and they made sure to attend Johnson's senior day.

All of Johnson's close friends have come to associate the three of them together.

"Everybody knows," said Johnson. "They'll say, 'There's Toby's mom and dad.' " 

When Johnson went on to have an opportunity in the NFL, Glen and Christi continued to be in his corner. During the 2015 regular season, Johnson spent time with Tennessee, Jacksonville and Chicago before landing with the Vikings in January.

Johnson experienced gaps of time between teams, and he said the Grunwalds never stopped believing in him. Nor did they allow him to give up on himself.

"Last year when I wasn't on a team, I was out there [in Kansas] training," Johnson said. "They were basically keeping me grounded and making sure I was still working out and doing the things I needed to do."

When Johnson signed with the Vikings last winter, Glen and Christi were thrilled to see him joining the purple and gold. Johnson spent the offseason and training camp with the Vikings, was released during roster reductions and signed to the practice squad. In Minnesota's fourth preseason game against the Rams, Johnson **made a diving interception** that helped in the Vikings win.

Glen said he feels that Johnson has found a home in Minnesota. Although he and Johnson both know the life of a practice squad player can be unpredictable, Glen is proud of Johnson for working hard to prove himself to the Vikings coaching staff and hopes he'll one day make the active roster.

Johnson would like nothing more than that. He's also grateful for every opportunity he's encountered, however, and says he doesn't take anything for granted. Looking back at his initial move to Kansas, Johnson knows he wouldn't be in the NFL today if it wasn't for Glen and Christi.

[Kansas] was my last go-around; I didn't have anything else," Johnson said. "I've never had support, and I think that was the thing I was missing throughout high school […]. I needed that discipline. I needed that support.

"I was living scared, and I'm not scared anymore," added Johnson, who said he's learned how to be financially stable through the mentorship of the Grunwalds. "They've been there since day one. They helped me get my faith back."

Being there for Johnson was never difficult for Glen and Christi.

"I think it's his smile and his personality that makes Toby so special," Glen said. "When he smiles, you can see that twinkle in his eye. We can tell when he's kind of out of sorts, but once you get that smile going, he's kind of hammin'."

Several nights a week, Johnson and the Grunwalds still have family dinner together. They may be in different states, but Glen and Christi sit down at the table – sometimes with grilled asparagus – and wait for Johnson's FaceTime call.

They talk about practice, upcoming games, mutual friends or how the grandkids – who also love Johnson – are doing.

While Johnson says he wouldn't be living his dream without the Grunwalds, they'll also tell you it goes both ways.

"Toby's pretty special to us," Glen said. "He's the son we never had."