Anthony Johnson (born February 4, 2000) is an

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such offensive running plays as sweeps and reverses. They create tur ...

for the

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...

of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL). He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

and Louisville.

Early life

Johnson grew up in

Coconut Creek, Florida Coconut Creek is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. Situated north of Miami, it had a population of 57,833 in 2020. It is part of the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city seceded from ...

and attended

Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory School Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory (CMCP) is a private Marianist school located in Hollywood, Florida, United States, on Chaminade Drive, in front of Nativity Catholic School in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami. Covering high school an ...

. In 2016, Johnson earned all-state and All-Broward County honors while putting up 30 tackles, 10 pass deflections, and three interceptions. Johnson would decide to commit to play

at Louisville.

College career

Johnson played three years at Louisville and put up 43 tackles, four for a loss, two interceptions, 13 pass deflections, a fumble recovery, and three forced fumbles. Johnson's best season for Louisville came in 2019 where he put up 27 tackles, two going for a loss, an interception, six pass deflections, a fumble recovery, and three forced fumbles. After the conclusion of the 2020 season, Johnson announced that he would be transferring to the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...

for his remaining years. In his first year with Virginia he put up 44 tackles, two going for a loss, three interceptions and five pass deflections. Johnson had a breakout year in 2022, posting 51 tackles, three being for a loss, two interceptions, and 12 pass deflections. For his stellar performance on the year he was named First team All-

Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Associa ...

. After the end of the 2022 season Johnson declared for the

NFL draft The National Football League Draft, also called the NFL Draft or (officially) the Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the league's most common source of player recruitment. Each team is given a position in the drafting o ...

. He would also earn an invite to the

2023 Senior Bowl The 2023 Senior Bowl was a college football all-star game played on February 4, 2023, at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. The game featured prospects for the 2023 draft of the professional National Football League (NFL), predominantly ...

. In the senior bowl Johnson had an amazing game, intercepting a pass by

Malik Cunningham Micale Malik Cunningham (born October 6, 1998) is an American football quarterback for the Louisville Cardinals. Early years Cunningham attended Park Crossing High School in Montgomery, Alabama. During his career, he passed for 6,276 yards and ...

and returning it for a touchdown.

Professional career

New Orleans Saints

After not being selected in the

2023 NFL draft The 2023 NFL Draft will be the 88th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players. The draft is scheduled to be held in the plaza outside of Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri, on April 27–29, ...

, Johnson signed with the

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...

as an

undrafted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

. He was waived on August 29, 2023, and re-signed to the

practice squad In sports, the practice squad, also called the taxi squad or practice roster, is a group of players signed by a team but not part of their main roster. Frequently used in gridiron football, they serve as extra players during the team's practices, ...

. On October 9, 2023, Johnson was released.

Green Bay Packers

On October 17, 2023, Johnson was signed to the

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...

practice squad. He was released on November 28 and re-signed to the practice squad on January 2, 2024. He signed a reserve/future contract on January 22, 2024. He was released on May 6, 2024.

Atlanta Falcons

On May 15, 2024, Johnson signed with the

References

External links

Louisville Cardinals bio

Virginia Cavaliers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Anthony 2000 births Living people Players of American football from Florida Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory School alumni American football cornerbacks Louisville Cardinals football players Virginia Cavaliers football players New Orleans Saints players Green Bay Packers players Atlanta Falcons players