Albert Kyle Johnson (born December 15, 1978 in

Wheaton, Illinois Wheaton is a suburban city in Milton and Winfield Townships and is the county seat of DuPage County, Illinois. It is located approximately west of Chicago. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 52,894, which was estimated ...

) 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 wi ...

fullback. He was originally drafted by 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. ...

in the fifth round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Syracuse.

High school career

As a senior at Woodbridge High School in

Woodbridge Township, New Jersey Woodbridge Township is a township in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The township is both a regional hub for Central New Jersey and a major bedroom suburb of New York City in the New York metropolitan area located within the ...

, Johnson won second-team All-State recognition, All-County honors, and All-Area honors.

College career

Johnson played collegiately for Syracuse. However, an ankle injury ended his season in the opener but still had 20 touchdowns; he was subsequently granted a sixth year of eligibility by the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

Professional career

Kyle was drafted by the

as the 10th pick in the 5th round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He was cut by the team after training camp and spent time on the New York Giants and Detroit Lions' practice squads. He was signed by Denver to their active roster in late 2002, but was inactive for the remainder of the season and spent the next year being shuffled between the active roster and the practice squad. He began 2004 with the Broncos as a backup and

special teams In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their "position". Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...

player; however, injuries led to starting fullback

Reuben Droughns Reuben Droughns (; born August 21, 1978) is a retired American football running back. After playing college football at the University of Oregon, he was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the third round of the 2000 NFL Draft. During his nine year ...

being moved to tailback, leaving the fullback spot to Johnson. However, after three starts, he suffered a season-ending injury to his right ankle. Thereafter, Johnson was the starting fullback for the next several years serving as a valuable run blocker and pass catcher within the

Mike Shanahan Michael Edward Shanahan (born August 24, 1952) is a former American football coach, best known as the head coach of the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL) from 1995 to 2008. During his fourteen seasons with the Broncos, he le ...

offense. During the 2006 regular season with 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 headquar ...

, Johnson scored a career-high 6 touchdowns (5 catching and 1 rushing). His touchdowns often ended in his signature "Bucking Bronco" celebration dance. On September 1, 2007, Johnson was cut from the

. He re-signed with the Broncos on November 22, 2007 when guard Isaac Snell was cut to make room for Johnson due to the injuries of Travis Henry,

Selvin Young Selvin Young (born October 1, 1983) is a former American football running back. He was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football at Texas. Early years A three-year starter at Jersey Village High ...

and Paul Smith. He was cut again on November 27, 2007.

References

External links

Denver Broncos bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Kyle 1978 births Living people People from Woodbridge Township, New Jersey American football fullbacks Syracuse Orange football players Carolina Panthers players New York Giants players Detroit Lions players Denver Broncos players Players of American football from New Jersey Sportspeople from Middlesex County, New Jersey Woodbridge High School (New Jersey) alumni