Derrick O’Hara Johnson (born November 22, 1982) is an American football linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Texas, where he earned consensus All-American honors twice, and was drafted by the Chiefs in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft.
Early years
Johnson was born in Waco, Texas. He attended Waco High School, where he was a three-sport star in football, track and basketball. In football, he played as a linebacker, registering 170 tackles (103 unassisted), 21.0 stops for loss, 6.0 quarterback sacks, five forced fumbles and two interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown as a senior. Johnson produced a career-high 30 tackles and four forced fumbles in a single game. He earned Parade magazine high school All-America and first-team All-Texas Class 5A honors following both his junior and senior seasons, and played in the first-ever U.S. Army All-American Bowl on December 30, 2000.
Also an standout track & field athlete, Johnson was a state-qualifier in the 100-meters and the triple jump. He recorded a 10.5-second 100-meter dash, while also clearing over 48 ft (14.66 m) in the triple jump. At the District 13-5A Championships, he ran a leg on the Waco 4 × 100 m relay squad, helping them earn a fourth-place finish at 38.67 seconds.
College career
Johnson enrolled in The University of Texas at Austin, and played for coach Mack Brown's Texas Longhorns football team from 2001 to 2004 and became one of the most dominant linebackers in Longhorns history. Johnson was a first-team All-Big 12 selection in 2002, 2003 and 2004, a consensus first-team All-American in 2003, and unanimous first-team All-American in 2004. Following his senior season, he was also recognized as the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, and received the Dick Butkus Award and Bronko Nagurski Trophy. The Texas Longhorns finished 11â€"1, and defeated the Michigan Wolverines 38â€"37 in the 2005 Rose Bowl.
College career statistics
Career awards and records
- 2003 Consensus First-team All-American
- 2004 Consensus First-team All-American
- 2004 Dick Butkus Award
- 2004 Bronko Nagurski Trophy
Professional career
2005 NFL Draft
Johnson was drafted 15th overall by the Kansas City Chiefs. After a month-long holdout by Johnson, he was signed by the Chiefs to a five-year deal worth $10.4 million. He joined Derrick Thomas and Percy Snow as the third Butkus Award winner to play for the Chiefs.
Kansas City Chiefs
Johnson started every game for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2005, becoming the first Chiefs linebacker in 20 years to start all 16 games of his rookie campaign. He was subsequently awarded the Mack Lee Hill Award by the Chiefs (presented to the most outstanding rookie).
In Week 17 of the 2009 NFL season, Johnson had an NFL-record tying two interceptions returned for touchdowns.
November, 2010 - received a five-year contract extension. The total value of the deal was $34 million; $15 million of that in guaranteed money.
Following a stellar 2011 NFL season, Johnson was named to his first Pro Bowl and was also named 1st team All-Pro.
During a week 1 game against the Tennessee Titans on September 8, 2014, Johnson suffered a torn Achilles. Later in the day, it was announced he would miss the rest of the season. Two days later, Johnson was placed on injured reserve.
Johnson was ranked 80th on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2016.
On December 8, 2016, Johnson tore his Achilles once again in a win against the Oakland Raiders. On December 17, he was placed on injured reserve.
Professional career statistics
Career awards and highlights
- 4× Pro Bowl selection (2011â€"2013, 2015)
- First-team All-Pro selection (2011)
- Second-team All-Pro selection (2015)
- Pro Bowl Defensive MVP (2013)
- PFWA All-AFC selection (2012)
- Kansas City Chiefs All Time Leading Tackler (1,080). Previously held by linebacker Gary Spani (999).
See also
- List of Texas Longhorns football All-Americans
- List of Kansas City Chiefs first-round draft picks
References
External links
- Official Website of Derrick Johnson
- Kansas City Chiefs bio
