While some people may need the spotlight to make their dreams come true, others do their best work on the sidelines.

Jaleel Bartholomew, a junior at Louisiana State University (LSU), has been taking photos since high school, and after a lot of persistence  he landed the opportunity of a lifetime.

Bartholomew reached out to work with one of the biggest names in college athletics, Flau’jae Johnson, and he refused to take no for an answer.

“He just kept texting me. He was so persistent, so I knew he wasn’t going to play,” Johnson said. “I love people who know what they want, and he was persistent.”

Since connecting in the summer of 2025, the two have traveled together while working on Johnson’s documentary and capturing her day-to-day life.

Together, they tell Johnson’s story in a way that reflects both of their visions.

“He tells a story through pictures and videos, and I tell my story through my lyrics and my basketball, He’s able to show the fans my life from my eyes, from our eyes, from his eyes.” Johnson said. 

For Bartholomew, moments like these put everything into perspective.

“Sometimes I look back and don’t realize how far I’ve come,” Bartholomew said. “Then I see it and think, ‘You did it.’”

The documentary will be released in parts, with the first episodes available now on social media.