P. J. Johnson
| No. 94 – Los Angeles Chargers | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Defensive tackle |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | June 14, 1996 Sacramento, California |
| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Weight: | 335 lb (152 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Luther Burbank (CA) |
| College: | Arizona |
| NFL draft: | 2019 / round: 7 / pick: 229 |
| Career history | |
| |
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Roster status: | Practice squad |
P. J. Johnson (born June 14, 1996) is an American football defensive tackle for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Arizona.
High school career
Johnson attended Monterey Trail High School in Elk Grove, California, before transferring to Luther Burbank High School in Sacramento, California during his sophomore year. He played on both the offensive and defensive lines for the Titans, where he posted 90 tackles and six sacks as a senior, and was a two-time first team all-Metro League selection. He also played baseball and basketball in high school.[1][2]
College career
Johnson began his collegiate career at Sacramento State, where he was redshirted during the 2014 season, after suffering from a burst appendix.[3] During the 2015 season, he appeared in all 11 games for the Hornets on the defensive line, and posted 13 tackles, including 4.5 tackles-for-loss, a sack and a forced fumble.[4]
Johnson missed the 2016 season after suffering a leg injury on September 17, 2016.[5] Tests revealed a tumor in Johnson's right leg, which he had removed in January 2017.[3] Johnson transferred to City College of San Francisco during the 2017 season, where he played in 10 games and posted 17 tackles, 8.5 tackles-for-loss, 4.5 sacks and a forced fumble.[3]
After leaving the San Francisco, Johnson received offers from Coastal Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Kansas, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Rutgers, Southeastern Louisiana and UNLV.[6] In December 2017, Johnson announced he would sign with Arizona.[7] During the 2018 season, Johnson appeared in 10 games for the Wildcats, including nine starts, where he posted 31 tackles, 8.5 tackles-for-loss, 3.0 sacks, one pass breakup, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and a safety.[8] Following the season, he was named a Pac-12 All-Conference honorable mention.[9] In January 2019, Johnson declared for the NFL Draft.[10]
Professional career
Detroit Lions
Johnson was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the seventh round (229th overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft. [11] He was waived on August 31, 2019.[12]
Los Angeles Chargers
On December 4, 2019, Johnson was signed to the Los Angeles Chargers practice squad.[13]
Personal life
Johnson has two children, a son, Tolu, and a daughter, Kiara.[14]
References
- ^ "PJ Johnson - Sacramento State Athletics Bio". hornetsports.com. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
- ^ Lev, Michael (April 26, 2019). "After a lifetime of obstacles, Arizona Wildcats' PJ Johnson awaits his NFL opportunity". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
- ^ a b c Lev, Michael (September 25, 2018). "From 'a dark place' to a good place: Arizona's PJ Johnson perseveres through pain". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
- ^ "NFL Draft & Combine Profile - P.J. Johnson". NFL.com. April 27, 2019. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
- ^ Frey, Thomas (October 3, 2018). "28 football players left Sac State after 2016 — here's why". statehornet.com. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
- ^ Matsumoto, Mike (December 1, 2017). "Inside the Rebels: Recruiting Report PJ Johnson". 247sports.com. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
- ^ Lev, Michael (December 20, 2017). "Early signing day is bountiful for Arizona Wildcats, who land 16 players for 2018". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
- ^ "Detroit Lions Select PJ Johnson in Seventh Round". arizonawildcats.com. April 27, 2019. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
- ^ "Pac-12 Football All-Conference honors announced". pac-12.com. December 4, 2018. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
- ^ Lev, Michael (January 9, 2019). "Arizona Wildcats defensive tackle PJ Johnson entering 2019 NFL draft". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
- ^ Monarrez, Carlos (April 27, 2019). "Detroit Lions pick P.J. Johnson with final pick in 2019 NFL draft". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
- ^ "Detroit Lions establish 53-man roster". DetroitLions.com. August 31, 2019.
- ^ "Chargers sign 2 players to practice squad". Chargers Wire. USA Today. December 4, 2019.
- ^ Lev, Michael (January 9, 2019). "Desire to provide for family led Arizona defensive tackle PJ Johnson to enter NFL draft". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved April 27, 2019.