Derrick O’Hara Johnson (born November 22, 1982) is a former

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 ...

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, p ...

. 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 ...

at the

University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...

, where he earned consensus All-American honors twice. He was drafted by the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...

with the 15th overall selection in first round the

2005 NFL Draft The 2005 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The NFL draft, draft was held April 23–24, 2005 NFL seaso ...

. In his 13 seasons with the Chiefs, he made four

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...

s. He also played 6 games for the

Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...

Early years

Johnson was born in

Waco, Texas Waco ( ) is the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin. The city had a 2020 population of 138,486, making it the 22nd-most populous city in the ...

. He attended

Waco High School Waco High School is a public high school located in the city of Waco, Texas and classified as a 6A school by the UIL. It is a part of the Waco Independent School District located in central McLennan County. In 2015, the school was rated “Im ...

, where he was a three-sport star in football, track and basketball. In

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

, he played as a

, 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 A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, float (parade), floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually ce ...

'' 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. As a standout

track & field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...

athlete, Johnson was a state-qualifier in the 100-meters and the triple jump. He recorded a 10.5-second

100-meter dash The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contest ...

, while also clearing over 48 ft (14.66 m) in the

triple jump The triple jump, sometimes referred to as the hop, step and jump or the hop, skip and jump, is a track and field event, similar to the long jump. As a group, the two events are referred to as the "horizontal jumps". The competitor runs down th ...

. 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.

College career

Johnson enrolled in The University of Texas at Austin, and played for coach

Mack Brown William Mack Brown (born August 27, 1951) is an American college football coach. He is currently in his second stint as the head football coach for the University of North Carolina, where he first coached from 1988 until departing in 1997, whe ...

Texas Longhorns football The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate team representing the University of Texas at Austin (variously Texas or UT) in the sport of American football. The Texas Longhorns, Longhorns compete in the NCAA Division I 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 The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its fo ...

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 The Butkus Award, instituted in 1985 by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando, is given annually to the top linebackers at the high school, collegiate and professional levels of football. The award, named in honor of College Football Hall of Fame ...

and

Bronko Nagurski Trophy The Bronko Nagurski Trophy has been awarded annually since 1993 to the collegiate American football defensive player adjudged by the membership of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) to be the best in the National Collegiate Athle ...

. The

Texas Longhorns The Texas Longhorns are the athletic teams representing the University of Texas at Austin. The teams are sometimes referred to as the Horns and take their name from Longhorn cattle that were an important part of the development of Texas, and a ...

finished 11–1, and defeated the

Michigan Wolverines The Michigan Wolverines comprise 29 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except women's water polo, which competes in the NCAA inter-divisio ...

38–37 in the 2005 Rose Bowl.

College statistics

Career awards and records

* 2003 Consensus First-team

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

n * 2004 Consensus First-team

n * 2004

* 2004

Professional career

Johnson entered the 2005 NFL Draft as a highly touted prospect and attended the

NFL Scouting Combine The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium (and formerly at the RCA Dome until 2008) in Indianapolis, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Footb ...

and completed all of the combine drills. On March 23, 2005, he attended Texas' pro day, but opted to stand on his combine numbers and only performed positional drills. He was projected to be a first round pick by NFL draft experts and scouts. He was ranked as the top outside linebacker prospect in the draft by DraftScout.com and DraftCountdown.com.

Kansas City Chiefs

2005

The

selected Johnson in the first round (15th overall) of the

. Johnson was the fourth linebacker drafted in 2005. On July 31, 2005, the Kansas City Chiefs signed Johnson to a five-year $10.40 million contract that includes $7.03 million guaranteed. He entered training camp slated as a starting outside linebacker. Head coach

Dick Vermeil Richard Albert Vermeil (; born October 30, 1936) is a former American football coach who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons. He was the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles for seven seasons, the St. Lou ...

officially named him the left outside linebacker to start the regular season, along with

Kendrell Bell Kendrell Alexander Bell (born July 2, 1980) is a former American football linebacker. He played college football at Georgia and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft, where he was named NFL Defensive Ro ...

and middle linebacker

Kawika Mitchell Kawika Uilani Mitchell is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at University of South Florida. Mitchell was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2nd round in 2003. Mitche ...

. He made his professional regular season debut and first career start in the Kansas City Chiefs' season-opener against the

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...

and recorded nine combined tackles, forced a fumble, and made his first career sack on quarterback

Chad Pennington James Chadwick Pennington (born June 26, 1976) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football at Marshall, where he won the Sammy Baugh Trophy, and was select ...

in their 27–7 victory. On October 2, 2005, Johnson collected a season-high ten solo tackles during a 37–31 loss to the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...

in Week 4. Johnson started all 16 games of his rookie campaign in

2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...

and made 95 combined tackles (72 solo), five pass deflections, two forced fumbles, and two sacks. He was subsequently awarded the Mack Lee Hill Award as their rookie of the year. The Kansas City Chiefs finished second in the AFC West with a 10–6 record, but did not qualify for the playoffs.

2006

On January 1, 2006, Kansas City Chiefs' head coach Dick Vermeil announced his retirement after five seasons with the team. Head coach

Herm Edwards Herman Edwards Jr. (born April 27, 1954) is an American football coach and former cornerback who was most recently the head football coach at Arizona State. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons, primarily with the Phil ...

chose to retain defensive coordinator

Gunther Cunningham Gunther Cunningham (June 19, 1946 – May 11, 2019) was an American football head coach. He served as the Kansas City Chiefs head coach for two seasons. He also had two stints as the Chiefs' Defensive Coordinator. He served as an assistant coach ...

and the base 4-3 defense. He also retained starting linebackers Johnson, Bell, and Mitchell to begin the season. On October 29, 2006, Johnson made five combined tackles and two sacks on quarterback

Matt Hasselbeck Matthew Michael Hasselbeck (born September 25, 1975) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Boston College and was drafted in the sixth ro ...

in the Chiefs' 30–27 win against the

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...

. Johnson missed two consecutive games (Weeks 10–11) due to a sprained ankle. He aggravated his injury and was also inactive for a Week 13 loss at the

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...

. In Week 16, he collected a season-high nine solo tackles during a 20–9 win at the

. He finished the season with 75 combined tackles (56 solo), 4.5 sacks, and three passes defensed in 13 games and 13 starts.

2007

Head coach Herman Edwards retained Johnson as the starting left outside linebacker to begin the regular season, alongside

Donnie Edwards Donnie Edwards (born April 6, 1973) is a former American football linebacker from San Diego, California. He played for thirteen seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Diego Chargers. He began his ca ...

and starting middle linebacker

Napoleon Harris Napoleon Bill Harris, III (born February 25, 1979) is an American politician and former American football linebacker who has been a member of the Illinois Senate representing the 15th district since 2013. The 15th district stretches from Blue Is ...

. On September 16, 2007, Johnson recorded seven combined tackles, a season-high two pass deflections, forced a fumble, and sacked quarterback

Rex Grossman Rex Daniel Grossman III (born August 23, 1980) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, most notably with the Chicago Bears. He played college football at Florida, where he rece ...

twice during a 20–10 loss at the

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...

in Week 2. In Week 4, he made three combined tackles, deflected a pass, made a sack, and made his first career interception off a pass by

Philip Rivers Philip Michael Rivers (born December 8, 1981) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons, primarily with the Chargers franchise. He played college football at NC State and was sele ...

during a 30–16 win at the

San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...

. On November 11, 2007, Johnson collected a season-high 11 solo tackles, deflected a pass, forced a fumble, and made an interception in the Chiefs' 27–11 loss to the

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...

in Week 10. He started all 16 games and recorded 94 combined tackles (63 solo), six pass deflections, four sacks, and three forced fumbles.

2008

Johnson and Donnie Edwards returned as the starting outside linebackers in 2008, along with middle linebacker Pat Thomas. On September 28, 2008, Johnson made six combined tackles, a pass deflection, was credited with half a sack, forced a fumble, and also intercepted a pass by quarterback

Jay Cutler Jay Christopher Cutler (born April 29, 1983) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the Chicago Bears. He played college football for the Van ...

during a 33–19 victory against the

. The following week, he collected a season-high nine solo tackles and deflected a pass in the Chiefs' 34–0 loss at the

Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...

. He was inactive for two games (Weeks 10–11) after injuring his

hamstring In human anatomy, a hamstring () is any one of the three posterior thigh muscles in between the hip and the knee (from medial to lateral: semimembranosus, semitendinosus and biceps femoris). The hamstrings are susceptible to injury. In quadrupeds, ...

the previous week. On December 28, 2008, he collected a season-high 11 combined tackles (five solo) and a pass deflection in the Chiefs' 16–6 loss at the

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...

in Week 17. Johnson recorded 85 combined tackles (68 solo), six passes defensed, four forced fumbles, 1.5 sacks, and an interception in 14 games and 14 starts.

2009

On January 23, 2009, the Kansas City Chiefs fired head coach

Herman Edwards Herman Edwards Jr. (born April 27, 1954) is an American football coach and former cornerback who was most recently the head football coach at Arizona State. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons, primarily with the Phi ...

after they finished with a 2–14 record in 2008 and did not qualify for the playoffs for the third consecutive season. The Kansas City Chiefs' new head coach, Todd Haley, hired

Clancy Pendergast Clarence Clifford Pendergast III (born November 29, 1967) is the former defensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals, Kansas City Chiefs, California Golden Bears, and USC Trojans football teams. Early coaching career He was a graduate assistan ...

as the new defensive coordinator. Pendergast chose to install a base 3-4 defense instead of the 4-3 defense previously used. On May 20, 2009, Johnson stated during an interview that the change in base defense has prompted the coaches to move him to inside linebacker. Throughout training camp, Johnson competed for a job as a starting inside linebacker against

Demorrio Williams Demorrio Dwain Williams (born July 6, 1980) is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Kilgore College for two years, then played at Nebr ...

Corey Mays Corey Lemard Mays (born November 27, 1983, in Chicago, in the U.S. state of Illinois) is a former American football linebacker. He was signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at Notre Dame ...

Monty Beisel Monty Gene Beisel (; born August 20, 1978) is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Kansas State. Beisel also played for the N ...

, and rookie

Jovan Belcher Jovan Henry Allen Belcher (July 24, 1987 – December 1, 2012) was an American football linebacker who played his entire career with the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He grew up in West Babylon, New York and was a sta ...

. Head coach Todd Haley named Johnson a backup inside linebacker to start the regular season, behind Demorrio Williams, Corey Mays, Monty Beisel, and Jovan Belcher. Haley did not give an explanation on Johnson's demotion, but Johnson stated he had no previous experience in a base 3-4 defense and had issues with the transition. He appeared in the Kansas City Chiefs' season-opener at the

Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...

and recorded three solo tackles, a pass deflection, and returned an interception by quarterback Joe Flacco for a 70-yard gain during a 38–24 loss. He was inactive for the Chiefs' Week 3 loss at the

after injuring his

groin In human anatomy, the groin (the adjective is ''inguinal'', as in inguinal canal) is the junctional area (also known as the inguinal region) between the abdomen and the thigh on either side of the pubic bone. This is also known as the medial comp ...

the previous week. In Week 11, he collected a season-high seven combined tackles during a 27–24 victory against the

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...

. On January 3, 2010, Johnson recorded six combined tackles, a season-high four pass deflections, and returned two interceptions for touchdowns during a 44–24 victory at the

in Week 17. He intercepted a pass by quarterback

Kyle Orton Kyle Raymond Orton (born November 14, 1982) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for Purdue, where he started four straight bowl games. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Dr ...

, intended for wide receiver

Brandon Lloyd Brandon Matthew Lloyd (born July 5, 1981) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Illinois, and was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth r ...

, and returned it 45-yards for the first touchdown of his career in the third quarter. Johnson returned another interception by Orton, intended for tight end

Daniel Graham Daniel Lawrence Graham (born November 16, 1978) is a former American football tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Colorado, and was recognized as a consensus All-American. He was ...

, for a 60-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to tie an NFL single game record for most interceptions returned for touchdowns. He finished the 2008 season with 37 combined tackles (30 solo), five pass deflections, three interceptions, two touchdowns, a sack, and a forced fumble in 15 games and was limited to three starts.

2010

Defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast was not re-signed by the Chiefs after the 2009 season. The Kansas City Chiefs placed a first round tender on Johnson after he became a

restricted free agent A restricted free agent (RFA) is a type of free agent in the National Football League (NFL), National Hockey League (NHL), or National Basketball Association (NBA). Such players have special restrictions on the terms under which they can retain ...

in 2010. On May 23, 2010, Johnson signed his one-year, $2.52 million contract. Throughout training camp, Johnson competed to be a starting inside linebacker against Demorrio Williams and Javon Belcher. Defensive coordinator

Romeo Crennel Romeo Crennel (born June 18, 1947) is a former American football coach, who was the senior advisor for football performance for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). A former long-time coaching assistant to Bill Parcells, Cre ...

named Johnson a starting left inside linebacker to begin the 2010 season, alongside Javon Belcher, and outside linebackers

Mike Vrabel Michael George Vrabel (; born August 14, 1975) is an American football coach and former linebacker who is the head coach of the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State, where he earned con ...

and

Tamba Hali Tamba Boimah Hali (born 3 November 1983) is a former American football linebacker. He played college football at Pennsylvania State University (Penn State), where he earned All-American honors, and was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fi ...

. On October 24, 2010, Johnson made six combined tackles, three pass deflections, and returned an interception for a touchdown during a 42–20 win against the

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...

. He returned an interception thrown by quarterback

Todd Bouman Todd Matthew Bouman (; born August 1, 1972) is a former American football quarterback. He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 1997. He played college football at St. Cloud State. Bouman also played for the New Orlean ...

, that was intended for tight end Eric Potter, for a 15-yard touchdown in the third quarter. On November 8, 2010, the Kansas City Chiefs signed Johnson to a five-year, $34 million contract that includes $15 million guaranteed. In Week 10, he collected a season-high 12 solo tackles and deflected two passes in the Chiefs' 49–29 loss at the

. On December 19, 2010, Johnson recorded a season-high 13 combined tackles (ten solo) and a season-high four pass deflections during a 27–13 win at the

St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis from 1995 to the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, where the team had played from 1946 to 1994. The arr ...

in Week 15. Johnson started all 16 games in

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

and recorded 121 combined tackles (95 solo), a career-high 16 pass deflections, four forced fumbles, one sack, an interception, and a touchdown. The Kansas City Chiefs finished first in the

AFC West The American Football Conference – Western Division or AFC West is one of the four divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The division comprises the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Las ...

with a 10–6 record and earned a playoff berth. On January 10, 2011, Johnson started in his first career playoff game and seven combined tackles in the Chiefs' 30–7 loss to the

in the AFC Wildcard Game.

2011

Defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel retained Johnson and Belcher as the starting inside linebackers to start the season, along with outside linebackers Tamba Hali and

Andy Studebaker Andrew Michael Studebaker (born September 16, 1985) is a former American football linebacker. He played college football at Wheaton College (IL), and was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the sixth round (203rd overall) of the 2008 NFL Draf ...

. In Week 7, Johnson collected a season-high 13 combined tackles (12 solo) as the Chiefs routed the

28–0. The following week, he tied his season-high of 13 combined tackles (ten solo), deflected a pass, made a sack, and an interception during a 23–20 win against the

in Week 8. On December 13, 2011, the Kansas City Chiefs fired head coach Todd Haley after a 35–10 loss to the

made them fall to a 5–8 record. Defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel was named the interim head coach for the remainder of the season. On December 27, 2011, it was announced that Johnson was voted to the 2012 Pro Bowl. He was selected to the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career and was also named first-team All-Pro. Johnson started in all 16 games and made a career-high 131 combined tackles (104 solo), nine pass deflections, two sacks, two interceptions, and a forced fumble.

2012

The Kansas City Chiefs chose to promote interim head coach/defensive coordinator

to their full-time head coach. Crennel retained the base 3-4 defense and named Johnson and Javon Belcher the starting inside linebackers to begin the regular season. The pair were joined by outside linebackers

Justin Houston Justin Donovan Houston (born January 21, 1989) is an American football outside linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Georgia, where he earned All-American honors, and was draf ...

and

. On November 12, 2012, Johnson collected a season-high 13 combined tackles (12 solo) in the Chiefs' 16–13 loss at the

in Week 10. The following week, he made ten solo tackles during a 28–6 loss to the

in Week 11. On December 26, 2012, it was announced that Johnson was voted to the 2013 Pro Bowl. On December 31, 2012, the Kansas City Chiefs fired head coach Romeo Crennel after they finished fourth in the AFC West with a 4–12 record. He started in all 16 games and recorded 125 combined tackles (110 solo), four pass deflections, three forced fumbles, and two sacks. This marked his third consecutive season with over 100 combined tackles.

2013

The Kansas City Chiefs hired former Philadelphia Eagles' head coach

Andy Reid Andrew Walter Reid (born March 19, 1958) is an American football coach who is the head coach for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). Reid was previously head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles from 1999 to 2012. From 200 ...

. Defensive coordinator

Bob Sutton Robert Sutton may refer to: Politicians *Robert Sutton (died 1414), MP for Lincoln *Robert Sutton (MP for Derby), see Derby (UK Parliament constituency), Derby *Robert Dudley alias Sutton (died 1539), MP *Robert Sutton, 1st Baron Lexinton (1594– ...

chose to retain a base 3-4 defense. Head coach Andy Reid named Johnson and

Akeem Jordan Akeem Raphael Jordan (born August 17, 1985) is a former American football and Canadian football linebacker. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He has also played for the Kansas City Chiefs and Washington ...

the starting inside linebackers to start the regular season, along with starting outside linebackers Justin Houston and Tamba Hali. On October 13, 2013, Johnson made nine combined tackles and made a season-high two sacks on quarterback

Terrelle Pryor Terrelle Pryor Sr. (born June 20, 1989) is a former American football wide receiver and quarterback. Considered the most recruited high school football-basketball athlete in southwestern Pennsylvania since Tom Clements, Pryor was widely regarde ...

during a 24–7 win against the

in Week 6. In Week 8, he collected a season-high 12 solo tackles and deflected a pass as he Chiefs defeated the

23–17. On December 8, 2013, Johnson made four combined tackles, two pass deflections, and intercepted a pass by

Robert Griffin III Robert Lee Griffin III (born February 12, 1990), nicknamed RG3 and RGIII, is an American football quarterback who is a free agent. He played college football at Baylor, where he won the Heisman Trophy as a senior, and was selected second overa ...

during a 45–10 victory at the

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...

. The following week, he made six combined tackles, broke up a pass, and intercepted a pass by quarterback

Matt McGloin Matthew James "Matt" McGloin (born December 2, 1989) is a former American football quarterback. He was the starting quarterback for the Penn State Nittany Lions football team from 2010 to 2012. McGloin was the first walk-on quarterback to start a ...

during a 56–31 win at the Oakland Raiders in Week 15. He finished the season with 107 combined tackles (95 solo), six passes defensed, 4.5 sacks, and two interceptions in 16 games and 16 starts. On January 21, 2014, Johnson was selected as a late replacement for the

2014 Pro Bowl The 2014 Pro Bowl was the National Football League's all-star game for the 2013 season. It took place at 2:30 pm local time on January 26 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The game was televised nationally by NBC and was the final Pro ...

after San Francisco 49ers'

NaVorro Bowman NaVorro Roderick Bowman (born May 28, 1988) is a former American football linebacker who played eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Penn State, and was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the thi ...

was unable to participate after tearing his ACL and MCL during the playoffs.

2014

Johnson was named a starting inside linebacker to begin the season, along with Joe Mays. He started in the Kansas City Chiefs' season-opener against the

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...

and made four solo tackles before exiting in the third quarter of the 28–10 loss after tearing his Achilles tendon. Later in the day, it was announced he would miss the rest of the season. On September 9, 2014, the Kansas City Chiefs placed Johnson on

injured reserve The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in th ...

for the remainder of the season. He earned an overall grade of 93.4 and finished with the second highest grade among all qualified inside/middle linebackers in the league in 2014.

2015

Head coach Andy Reid named Johnson and Josh Mauga the starting inside linebackers to start the 2015 regular season. On December 6, 2015, Johnson collected a season-high 14 combined tackles (13 solo) and a sack during a 34–20 win against the

. The following week, he made six combined tackles, a pass deflection, and an interception in the Chiefs' 10–3 win against the

in Week 14. He started all 16 games in

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...

and made 116 combined tackles (95 solo), eight pass deflections, four sacks, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions. The

finished second in the

with an 11–5 record and earned an wildcard berth. On January 9, 2016, Johnson recorded six combined tackles in the Chiefs' 30–0 victory at the

Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...

in the AFC Wildcard Game. The following week, he made four combined tackles in the Chiefs' 27–20 loss at the

New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...

in the AFC Divisional Round. On January 25, 2016, Johnson was named to the

2016 Pro Bowl The 2016 Pro Bowl (branded as the 2016 Pro Bowl presented by USAA for sponsorship reasons) was the National Football League's all-star game for the 2015 season, which was played at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii on January 31, 2016. As of 20 ...

as a late replacement for Carolina Panthers' linebacker

Luke Kuechly Luke August Kuechly (; born April 20, 1991) is an American former professional football middle linebacker who played all eight seasons of his career with the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He is generally recognized a ...

who was participating in

Super Bowl 50 Super Bowl 50 was an American football game to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2015 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos defeated the National Football Conference (NFC) cha ...

. Johnson was ranked 80th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2016.

2016

On March 9, 2016, the Kansas City Chiefs signed Johnson to a three-year, $21 million contract that includes $9 million guaranteed. Head coach Andy Reid named Johnson and Justin March-Lillard the starting inside linebackers to begin the season, along with outside linebackers Justin Houston and Tamba Hali. On September 18, 2016, Johnson collected a season-high 11 combined tackles (eight solo) during a 19–12 loss at the

. The following week, he made ten combined tackles (eight solo), two pass deflections, and returned an interception for a touchdown during a 24–3 win against the

in Week 3. Johnson intercepted a pass thrown by quarterback

Ryan Fitzpatrick Ryan Joseph Fitzpatrick (born November 24, 1982) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. During his career, Fitzpatrick started at quarterback for nine different teams, the most ...

, intended for running back

Matt Forte Matthew Garrett Forte (born December 10, 1985) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tulane Green Wave and was drafted ...

, and returned it for a 55-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. In Week 9, Johnson made a season-high nine solo tackles during a 29–28 win at 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 ...

. On December 8, 2016, Johnson tore his Achilles during a 21–13 victory against the

. On December 17, 2016, the Kansas City Chiefs placed him on injured reserve for the rest of the season. He finished the season with 90 combined tackles (70 solo), three pass deflections, a sack, an interception, and a touchdown in 13 games and 13 starts.

2017

In Week 13, Johnson collected a season-high nine combined tackles during a 38–31 loss at the

. He finished the season with 71 combined tackles (48 solo) and seven pass deflections in 15 games and 15 starts. The

finished first in the AFC West with a 10–6 and earned a wildcard berth. On January 6, 2018, Johnson made eight combined tackles and sacked quarterback

Marcus Mariota Marcus Ardel Taulauniu Mariota (born October 30, 1993) is an American football quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted second overall by the Tennessee Titans in the 2015 NFL Draft. Mariota play ...

in the Chiefs' 22–21 loss to the

in the AFC Wildcard Game. On February 13, 2018, the Chiefs announced that they had used an option in his contract allowing them to void the final year without penalty. He became a free agent at the beginning of the new league year on March 14.

Oakland Raiders

On May 4, 2018, the Oakland Raiders signed Johnson to a one-year, $1.50 million contract with $500,000 guaranteed and a signing bonus of $250,000. He was released on October 16, 2018 at his request.

Retirement

On May 8, 2019, Johnson retired after signing a one-day ceremonial contract with the Chiefs.

NFL career statistics

Career awards and highlights

* 4×

selection (

2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...

–

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...

) * First-team

All-Pro All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list th ...

selection (

) * Second-team

selection (

) * Pro Bowl Defensive MVP (

) *

PFWA The Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA), sometimes known as Pro Football Writers Association, is an organization that purports to be " heofficial voice of pro football writers, promoting and fighting for access to NFL personnel to best serve ...

All-AFC selection (2012) * Kansas City Chiefs All Time Leading Tackler (1,151)

References

External links

Kansas City Chiefs bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Derrick 1982 births Living people All-American college football players American Conference Pro Bowl players American football outside linebackers Kansas City Chiefs players Oakland Raiders players Players of American football from Texas Sportspeople from Waco, Texas Texas Longhorns football players Unconferenced Pro Bowl players Waco High School alumni Ed Block Courage Award recipients

Early years

College career

College statistics

Career awards and records

Professional career

Kansas City Chiefs

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

Oakland Raiders

Retirement

NFL career statistics

Career awards and highlights

See also

References

External links