Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson offered his support to the son of a former assistant who is fighting a rare heart condition that likely will require a transplant. Jarren Jasper is the 14-year-old son of Navy offensive coordinator Ivin Jasper, who played for Johnson at Hawaii and then coached for him at Georgia Southern and two different stints at Navy.
Jarren is suffering from supraventricular tachycardia, which can cause excessive heart rate because of faulty electrical connections in the heart. Johnson recorded a video for Jarren, joining several other schools and coaches sending him well wishes, including Duke, Clemson and Michigan. Tech also sent him a Yellow Jackets jersey with his father’s No. 4.
Johnson spoke fondly Saturday of the Jasper family, saying he had known Jarren since he was 2 or 3 years old.
“We’ve known Donna and the kids for a long time,” Johnson said. “It’s a tough, tough situation, but they’re pretty tough people. They’ll work through it.”
