"It can be a very lonely place": Fox Sports' Brock Huard's emotional reaction to Max Johnson's family heartbreak after devastating injury

Max Johnson anticipated a smooth 2024 season at North Carolina after replacing Drake Maye as the starting quarterback. However, he suffered a setback in the opening game against Minnesota as he was carted off the field following a horrific injury.

While being attended to by the medical staff on the field, his family was shown on the television screen. Max Johnson's mom was seen crying in the stands and the scene got Fox Sports announcer Brock Huard emotional.

“Told people before, my mom was a three-time quarterback mom, it's a hard job. It's kind of like a pastor’s wife. It can be a very lonely place. It really is,” Huard said.

“It's such a hard position. All eyes in this building are not judging the right guard or d-end. Every eyeball judges the quarterback on every single play and Moms carry that weight. They sense it, they feel it, they hear it in ways. It's kind of hard for me to watch, to be honest with you.”

Max Johnson to miss the rest of the season

Max Johnson will be out of action for the rest of the 2024 college football season after suffering a broken leg in North Carolina’s 19-17 win against Minnesota in Week 1.

The quarterback reportedly underwent a successful surgery in Minneapolis on Friday. Johnson is expected to return to Chapel Hill to continue his recovery process.

Johnson committed to North Carolina in November after spending two seasons at Texas A&M. He still has a year of eligibility left after this season which will give him a chance to make a comeback in 2025.

North Carolina quarterback situation after Max Johnson's injury

Max Johnson won the starting quarterback race at North Carolina this offseason to replace Drake Maye. However, following his injury, Conner Harrell replaced him against Minnesota and will take the role for the rest of the season.

“He hadn’t been in this offense before, and we felt in general that the offense was uptight the first half,” coach Mack Brown said in a post-game Q&A. “Minnesota is a good defense. We knew that. I really hated to see him get hurt, but we talked about needing two quarterbacks.”

Harrell started his college career at North Carolina in 2022 playing as a backup to Maye. He redshirted as a freshman and appeared in five games for the Tar Heels last season including one start.