Javontae Jean-Baptiste sat his 6-foot-4, 260-pound frame comfortably in the swivel chair and scrolled through his cell phone as Teanna Johnson stood behind him braiding his hair.
It was a Wednesday afternoon in mid-December and the second-year Washington Commander defensive end called Johnson earlier in the day to see if she had an opening in her schedule. With the weekend approaching and Christmas the following week, Jean-Baptiste wanted to beat the rush before Johnson ran out of available slots.
On this day, the schedule was light enough to fit him in for an hour-long appointment so Johnson made it work. But then, she always does.
As a Manassas-based hair stylist to a number of Commanders, including star quarterback Jayden Daniels, Johnson is prepared for these last-moment adjustments. It’s part of the job.
But she’s also prepared for something else that comes with the territory when she does Jean-Baptiste’s hair or his teammates. With her client base expanding across the NFL, Johnson is intentional about ensuring the Commanders, especially Daniels, can come to her business off Sudley Road without fanfare.
Yes, they ask Johnson to work on their hair. It is a transactional business.
But there’s so much more going on in the small but cozy space. They might talk about football in general or specifically this season in which the 4-12 Commanders have struggled after reaching the NFC Championship a year ago.
They might talk about the college recruiting process to help her high school sophomore son sort through his growing number of scholarship offers. They might talk about life. Or they might not talk at all to let the player take a breath from the rigors of professional football.
Whatever happens, though, Johnson always takes the same approach. When the players arrive, Johnson, who turns 41 Jan. 6, is like a protective older sister of her younger brothers.
She takes pride in creating a professional and welcoming environment where the player’s space and privacy is respected. What is said inside of GlamHer Beauty Bar stays there.
“They are safe with me,” Johnson said.
Teanna Johnson is the owner of GlamHer Beauty Bar in Manassas.
Erika Hogan/EH Digital Creations
Low-profile
There’s nothing flashy about her workspace and that’s the way Johnson wants it.
Tucked on the second floor of a non-descript office building near Interstate 66, her shop employs one other person and features two rooms, one for customers to wait out front and the other with two chairs where they get their hair styled.
The only visible connection to the Commanders is a canvas image of Daniels on a shelf in the waiting room that a client gave her. If you look closely, Daniels autographed the picture for her.
After starting her business in the nearby Manassas Mall, Johnson moved to this spot five years ago with the sole intention of keeping it low-profile because of her Commanders’ client base.
Johnson has done hair for several of them over the years. Besides Daniels and Jean-Baptiste, her current list includes rookies Jaylin Lane and Jacory Croskey-Merritt and veteran Deatrich Wise Jr. , all who travel from Ashburn in Loudoun County, home of the Commanders’ headquarters.
“There are so many,” Johnson said. “It’s a lot.”
A self-taught hair stylist, Johnson grew up watching her mother braid hair during her free time. Fascinated by the process, Johnson began practicing on dolls first followed by friends and family.
As she got older, Johnson became more experienced by studying other hair stylists’ techniques.
“A lot of my growth came from trial and error,” Johnson said. “I’m also so grateful to those who trusted me with their hair.”
Sean Taylor, the Redskins’ former all-pro safety who was murdered in 2007, was her first NFL client. She also did hair for former Commanders wide receiver Darnerien McCants, who is the godfather to Johnson’s daughter Irieanna.
Former Stonewall Jackson High School standout and current Houston Texan Tim Settle helped build Johnson’s following as well. Johnson knew Settle before he became an NFL player. But her appointments and referrals picked up after Settle joined the Commanders as a rookie in 2018.
As she fine-tuned her skills to turn a hobby into a profession, Johnson styled hair for former Commanders Jonathan Allen, Jahan Dotson and Carl Davis among others.
She’s even done hair for just-released players who stop by quickly before they head out after being signed by another team.
Teanna Johnson braids hair for a number of Washington Commanders, including quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Erika Hogan/EH Digital Creations
Johnson also takes her talent on the road. Former Washington Commanders playing elsewhere, like the Dallas Cowboys’ Dante Fowler, will pay to fly her in for a weekend to do their hair. The same is true for players in New England and Jacksonville.
“I believe what draws the Commanders in is my attention to detail, consistency, and focus on healthy hair,” Johnson said. “I take my time, listen to what my clients want, and make sure every style is clean, comfortable, and long-lasting.”
Word of Johnson’s talent has spread among the players’ wives, including from opposing teams. If their husband’s team is in town, the wife tries to make an appointment with Johnson. She does her best to accommodate everyone, but her schedule was so full prior to Washington’s Dec. 20 home game against Philadelphia she had to politely tell the wife of an Eagles’ player she couldn’t squeeze her in.
The offseason isn’t as busy for Johnson as players go back to where they are from. But she remains active. Some players still come back to Manassas to get their hair done. Others fly Johnson out.
New players training in Ashburn or those being scouted by Washington also become clients.
“It balances it out,” Johnson said.
Johnson had ties to the Commanders already. She and former Washington defensive back Fred Smoot have three children together.
Although Smoot helped her get set up in her original place at Manassas Mall, Johnson has built this business network herself through word of mouth.
A player might ask another in the locker room if he knows someone who can do his hair. And next thing you know, Johnson gets a call.
That’s how Jean-Baptiste ended up going to Johnson.
A 2024 seventh-round draft pick by the Commanders who is currently on injured reserve after suffering a torn pec in week 4 against Atlanta, Jean-Baptiste asked former running back Brian Robinson for recommendations. Since Robinson, who is now with San Francisco, used Johnson himself, he suggested the rookie go to her as well.
“I felt like she does a good job on my hair,” said Jean-Baptiste, who usually comes in twice a week. “Everything is clean. The parts are clean. The braids, they last. Being here, chillin’, listening to gospel music. Good energy to be around.”
Washington Commander Javontae Jean-Baptiste gets his hair done by Teanna Johnson.
David Fawcett/InsideNoVa
With the player’s consent, Johnson has just recently started conducting a question-and-answer session with players at her shop on Facebook Live.
The only exception is Daniels. She is careful about not even letting the public know when he’s there in her store. Some potential customers have tried to schedule an appointment by asking when Daniels is coming in, but Johnson immediately ends the conversation.
“We have to protect them and ourselves,” Johnson said. “They are regular people. I don’t know what some of these people are thinking.”
For a while, she did get autographs from the players for people who asked. But then, she stopped. Someone would make a request and then keep bugging her about it. It wasn’t worth the hassle and it stressed her out too much. Plus, she felt uncomfortable bothering the Commanders.
Mutual trust
Not all of Johnson’s clients are NFL players, but she schedules them differently. While regular customers make appointments through an app, the players call Johnson directly. It’s easier for discretion.
Johnson appreciates the trust players place in her. They trust her so much in fact that they don’t ask her to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
“It’s bigger than hair,” Johnson said. “We have good relationships. People need people they can confide in. It’s more than just hair in the chair.”
Jean-Baptiste feels that way.
“She’s funny, chill,” he said. “[There’s] a friendly vibe.”
It’s public knowledge Johnson has NFL clients, but she never says when they will be there. The last thing the player or she needs is someone stopping by.
With a front window overlooking Sudley Road, Johnson is able to keep a watchful eye on who is coming and going.
“I am very aware of my surroundings,” Johnson said.
The players are flexible, understanding Johnson has a life outside of her work. She is a mother as well who has responsibilities to her kids. Her son Caleb plays football and basketball at Osbourn High School in Manassas. Her daughter Irieanna is a senior at the Virginia Academy in Ashburn and has signed with East Carolina University for basketball.
To meet everyone’s needs, Johnson sometimes adjusts her own schedule. If she is attending one of her kid’s games, for example, she will come to the shop later that night and do the player’s hair.
Teanna Johnson is the owner of GlamHer Beauty Bar in Manassas.
Erika Hogan/EH Digital Creations
No matter when they come in, Johnson’s NFL clients are hard to miss. The players’ expensive cars in the parking lot or just their athletic frames are enough to draw notice. The same happens when a customer is in the same waiting room as the player.
To downplay the aura, Johnson encourages the customer to talk to the player. So when they whisper to her, “Is that Jayden?” Johnson tells the person to ask Jayden Daniels directly. He will respond.
Feeling ready to expand, Johnson is hoping to move into a new space in 2026. But she won’t rush anything. Whether she’s in another place or remaining where she’s at, Johnson will still do what she does best: style hair with a welcoming and personal touch.
“[I will] go whatever way God leads me,” Johnson said. “It will only get bigger and better.”