Johnson was born on February 16, 1987, in Barrett Station, Texas. He attended Robert E. Lee High School, where he lettered in football and basketball. During his senior year in 2003, in which he took over starting quarterback duties from Drew Tate, Johnson passed for 2,900 yards and 33 touchdowns and rushed for 540 yards with 12 touchdowns. Johnson was named the district's Most Valuable Player, first-team all-district, and second-team all-state.[1] After graduating early, Johnson was a two-star recruit coming out of high school, not being ranked among the top quarterback prospects of his class.[2][3] Johnson was recruited by Utah, Illinois and Louisiana Tech.
Playing career
College
Johnson played college football for the Utah Utes. As a true freshman in 2004, Johnson saw action in ten games as back-up to Heisman Trophy finalist Alex Smith. He passed for a touchdown and ran for another, while he compiled a 129.7 passer rating.[1]
In 2005, Johnson took over as starting quarterback, where he remained for the first ten games until a season-ending knee injury against New Mexico on November 12. He finished the season with 2,892 passing yards and 18 touchdowns. Against Wyoming, he was named the Mountain West Conference (MWC) Offensive Player of the Week for completing 32-of-45 passes for 384 yards and four touchdowns, while rushing for 67 yards and a touchdown. He was first in the MWC and fourth nationwide in total offensive yards with an average 337.0 yards per game, and second in the MWC in passing yardage with 289.2 yards per game. The Utes' record with Johnson at quarterback in 2005 was 5–5, before ultimately finishing the season 7–5.[1]
After undergoing surgery on December 1, 2005, to correct his knee injury, Johnson redshirted his third year in order to convalesce during the 2006 season.[1] In 2007, Johnson returned to see action in 11 games, ten of which he started. In the first game of the season against Oregon State, he injured his shoulder and subsequently missed two following games. He finished the season with 2,636 passing yards and 24 touchdowns. In the 2007 Poinsettia Bowl against Navy, Johnson completed 20-of-25 passes for 226 yards and a touchdown, while he rushed for 69 yards and one touchdown. For his performance, he was named the 2007 Poinsettia Bowl's Most Valuable Player.[1]
In 2008, Johnson returned for his final season as the Utes' starting quarterback. In the first game against Rich Rodriguez's Michigan, he threw for 305 yards in Utah's 25–23 win. They went on to compile wins against Air Force, Oregon State (who defeated USC the previous week), and twelfth-ranked TCU, a team that only had one other loss in the season (against future BCS Championship Game participant second-ranked Oklahoma.) In their final regular season game against fourteenth-ranked BYU, Johnson threw for 303 yards and four touchdowns in a 48–24 victory. Utah's performance secured the sixth rank in the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) poll, and they became the only BCS non-AQ conference team to secure a berth in a BCS game (the 2009 Sugar Bowl, against Southeastern Conference (SEC) Western Division champions Alabama.)
In the Sugar Bowl, Johnson led seventh-ranked Utah with 336 passing yards and three passing touchdowns in a 31–17 surprise upset over fourth-ranked Alabama. For his performance, Johnson was named the 2009 Sugar Bowl's Most Outstanding Player. Utah finished the season as the only undefeated team, with a 13–0 record.[4][5] Johnson was featured as the cover athlete of the PlayStation 3 edition of the NCAA Football 10 video game.[6]
Johnson's record as a starting quarterback in his career at Utah was 26–7, which made him the winningest quarterback in school history.[7]
In January 2010, Johnson was named the quarterbacks coach at the University of Utah.[7] On February 2, 2012, two weeks before his 25th birthday, Johnson was named offensive coordinator at Utah by Whittingham.[13]
Mississippi State Bulldogs
On February 10, 2014, Johnson was named as the quarterbacks coach at Mississippi State, reuniting him with coach Dan Mullen. Mullen had offered him a scholarship to sign with Utah during Urban Meyer's tenure as the Utes' head coach.
Houston Cougars
On December 27, 2016, Johnson was hired as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Houston Cougars.[14]
Florida Gators
On December 10, 2017, Johnson was hired as the quarterbacks coach at the University of Florida, once again reuniting with head coach Dan Mullen.[15] Johnson was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2020, making him the first African-American offensive coordinator in the team's history.[16]
Philadelphia Eagles
On January 27, 2021, Johnson was hired by the Philadelphia Eagles as their quarterbacks coach and wide receivers coach under head coach Nick Sirianni. Johnson was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2023, replacing Shane Steichen who departed to become head coach of the Indianapolis Colts.[17] Johnson's playcalling was criticized throughout the season, with pundits and players calling Johnson's offense too simplistic and akin to a Madden offense with the way Johnson repeatedly relied on screen passes and go routes instead of scheming players open. Johnson was fired following the season.[18][19]
Washington Commanders
On February 15, 2024, Johnson was hired by the Washington Commanders as their assistant head coach and offensive pass game coordinator under head coach Dan Quinn.[20]
