Brian Johnson (quarterback)
Encyclopedia
Brian Delance Johnson is an American football
quarterbacks coach
for the University of Utah
. He played college football
at Utah
and was drafted by the New York Sentinels
in the UFL Premiere Season Draft
in 2009.
. His father played college football for the UTEP Miners
at the University of Texas, El Paso. Brian Johnson attended Robert E. Lee High School
, where he lettered in football and basketball. During his senior year in 2003, he passed for 2,900 yards and 33 touchdowns, completed 71.6% of his passes, and rushed for 540 yards and 12 touchdowns. Johnson was named the district Most Valuable Player, first-team all-district, and second-team all-state.
Johnson was a two star recruit coming out of high school. Johnson was recruited by Utah
, Illinois
and Louisiana Tech
. Johnson attended campus visits for all three of his choices. Johnson's first visit was to the University of Utah was on December 5, 2003. Johnson visited University of Illinois on December 12, 2003. His last campus visit was to the University of Louisiana Tech, on January 9, 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, and compiled a 129.7 passer rating
.
In 2005
, Johnson took over the starting quarterback position, where he remained for the first ten games until a season-ending knee injury against New Mexico on 12 November. He threw for 2,892 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 and 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. He was second in the MWC in passing yardage with 289.2 yards per game. He also tied the MWC record for least amount of interceptions thrown in a season at seven. The Utes record with Johnson at quarterback in 2005 was 5–5, before ultimately finishing the season 7–5.
After surgery on December 1, 2005 to correct his knee injury, Johnson redshirt
ed his third year in order to convalesce during the 2006 season. In 2007
, Johnson returned to see action in 11 games, ten of which were starts. In the first game of the season against Oregon State
, he injured his shoulder and subsequently missed two following games. During the season he threw for 2,636 yards and 24 touchdowns. In the 2007 Poinsettia Bowl
against Navy
, Johnson completed 20 out of 25 passes for 226 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 69 yards and one touchdown. For his performance, he was named the 2007 Poinsettia Bowl Most Valuable Player.
In 2008
, Johnson returned as the Utes
' starting quarterback for his final season. 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 the previous week defeated USC
), and then 12th-ranked TCU
, a team that only had one other loss in the season against future BCS Championship Game participants second-ranked Oklahoma. In their final regular season game against 14th-ranked BYU
, Johnson threw for 303 yards and four touchdowns in a 48–24 victory. Utah's performance was good enough to secure a sixth-ranked ranking the Bowl Championship Series
(BCS) poll and the only non-BCS conference team to secure a berth in a BCS game, the 2009 Sugar Bowl
, against Southeastern Conference
(SEC) Western Division champions Alabama. Alabama had previously been 12–0 and ranked #1 in all the major polls before a defeat in the SEC Championship Game
against Florida
. In the Sugar Bowl, Johnson led then 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 Most Outstanding Player. Utah finished the season as the only undefeated team with a 13–0 record. Johnson was featured as the cover athlete of the PlayStation 3
edition of the NCAA Football 10
video game.
Johnson went 26-7 as a starting quarterback in his career at Utah, finishing as the winningest quarterback in school history.
, he was invited to the Green Bay Packers
rookie mini-camp along with Tulsa
quarterback David Johnson
. He was not subsequently signed by an NFL team, but the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
of the Canadian Football League
were reportedly interested in him.
. Johnson had said at UFL tryouts, "It's a chance to keep playing football ... You have to take every opportunity you can get. You have to keep knocking on doors. You have to show them you can compete, that you have the physical tools they want." He signed with the team on August 5, 2009, but was released on September 28, 2009.
at the University of Utah by head coach Kyle Whittingham
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterbacks coach
Quarterbacks coach
A quarterbacks coach is a coach in charge of the quarterbacks in gridiron football. The quarterbacks coach typically operates under the offensive coordinator on a team's coaching staff....
for the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Utah
Utah Utes football
The Utah Utes football program is a college football team that currently competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I and represents the University of Utah. The Utah college football program began in 1892 and has played home games at Rice–Eccles...
and was drafted by the New York Sentinels
New York Sentinels
The New York Sentinels and Hartford Colonials are a currently inactive professional American football team that played in the United Football League in its 2009 and 2010 seasons...
in the UFL Premiere Season Draft
UFL Premiere Season Draft
The UFL "Premiere" Season Draft was the inaugural draft of the United Football League. The results of the draft were announced via press release on June 19, 2009....
in 2009.
Early years
Johnson was born to parents Stacey and Shonna Johnson in Baytown, TexasBaytown, Texas
Baytown is a city within Harris County and partially in Chambers County in the Gulf Coast region of the U.S. state of Texas. Located within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area, it lies along both State Highway 146 and Interstate 10. As of 2010, Baytown had an population of 71,802...
. His father played college football for the UTEP Miners
UTEP Miners
The UTEP Miners is the name given to the sports teams of the University of Texas at El Paso. Informally, the UTEP Miners have also been referred to as the Miners, UTEP, or Texas-El Paso. UTEP was a member of the Western Athletic Conference from 1967 to 2005, when they joined Rice, Tulsa, and SMU in...
at the University of Texas, El Paso. Brian Johnson attended Robert E. Lee High School
Robert E. Lee High School (Baytown, Texas)
Robert E. Lee High School is a secondary school in Baytown, Texas, that serves grades 9 through 12. Lee is one of three high schools in the Goose Creek Consolidated Independent School District, which serves all of Baytown and Highlands, Texas. The other two are Ross S. Sterling High School and...
, where he lettered in football and basketball. During his senior year in 2003, he passed for 2,900 yards and 33 touchdowns, completed 71.6% of his passes, and rushed for 540 yards and 12 touchdowns. Johnson was named the district Most Valuable Player, first-team all-district, and second-team all-state.
Post High School
After graduating early from Robert E. Lee High SchoolRobert E. Lee High School (Baytown, Texas)
Robert E. Lee High School is a secondary school in Baytown, Texas, that serves grades 9 through 12. Lee is one of three high schools in the Goose Creek Consolidated Independent School District, which serves all of Baytown and Highlands, Texas. The other two are Ross S. Sterling High School and...
Johnson was a two star recruit coming out of high school. Johnson was recruited by Utah
Utah Utes football
The Utah Utes football program is a college football team that currently competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I and represents the University of Utah. The Utah college football program began in 1892 and has played home games at Rice–Eccles...
, Illinois
Illinois Fighting Illini football
The Illinois Fighting Illini are a major college football program, representing the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. They compete in NCAA Division I-A and the Big Ten Conference.-Current staff:-All-time win/loss/tie record:*563-513-51...
and Louisiana Tech
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football
The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football program represents Louisiana Tech University in Western Athletic Conference. The team currently competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. Since the Bulldogs first season in 1901, Louisiana Tech has compiled an all-time record of 554 wins, 422...
. Johnson attended campus visits for all three of his choices. Johnson's first visit was to the University of Utah was on December 5, 2003. Johnson visited University of Illinois on December 12, 2003. His last campus visit was to the University of Louisiana Tech, on January 9, 2004.
College career
As a true freshman in 20042004 Utah Utes football team
The 2004 Utah Utes football team represented the University of Utah in the college football season of 2004–2005. This team was the original 'BCS Buster', meaning, this was the first time that a team from a non-BCS conference was invited to play in one of the BCS bowl games. The team, coached by 2nd...
, Johnson saw action in ten games as back-up to Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
finalist Alex Smith. He passed for a touchdown and ran for another, and compiled a 129.7 passer rating
Passer rating
Passer rating is a measure of the performance of quarterbacks or any other passers in American football and Canadian football. There are at least two formulae currently in use: one officially used by the National Football League and the Canadian Football League, and one used in college football...
.
In 2005
2005 Utah Utes football team
The 2005 Utah Utes football team represented the University of Utah in the college football season of 2005–2006. This was Kyle Whittingham's first year as head coach after having been promoted from defensive coordinator following the departure of Urban Meyer for Florida. Their 4–4 conference record...
, Johnson took over the starting quarterback position, where he remained for the first ten games until a season-ending knee injury against New Mexico on 12 November. He threw for 2,892 yards and 18 touchdowns. Against Wyoming
Wyoming Cowboys football
The Wyoming Cowboys are a college football team that represents the University of Wyoming. They compete in the Mountain West Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I. The team has won 15 conference titles...
, he was named the Mountain West Conference
Mountain West Conference
The Mountain West Conference , popularly known as the Mountain West, is the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I FBS . The MWC officially began operations in July 1999...
(MWC) Offensive Player of the Week for completing 32 of 45 passes for 384 yards and four touchdowns and 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. He was second in the MWC in passing yardage with 289.2 yards per game. He also tied the MWC record for least amount of interceptions thrown in a season at seven. The Utes record with Johnson at quarterback in 2005 was 5–5, before ultimately finishing the season 7–5.
After surgery on December 1, 2005 to correct his knee injury, Johnson redshirt
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
ed his third year in order to convalesce during the 2006 season. In 2007
2007 Utah Utes football team
The 2007 Utah Utes football team represented the University of Utah in the college football season of 2007-2008. The team was coached by 3rd year head football coach Kyle Whittingham...
, Johnson returned to see action in 11 games, ten of which were starts. In the first game of the season against Oregon State
Oregon State Beavers football
The Oregon State Beavers football team represents Oregon State University in NCAA Division I-A college football. The team first fielded an organized football team in 1893 and is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. The head coach is Mike Riley, with Danny Langsdorf as the offensive...
, he injured his shoulder and subsequently missed two following games. During the season he threw for 2,636 yards and 24 touchdowns. In the 2007 Poinsettia Bowl
2007 Poinsettia Bowl
The 2007 Poinsettia Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game between the Navy Midshipmen and the Utah Utes on December 20, 2007 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. Utah defeated Navy 35–32 in a game that came down to the final seconds. It was one of 32 games in the...
against Navy
Navy Midshipmen football
The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007...
, Johnson completed 20 out of 25 passes for 226 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 69 yards and one touchdown. For his performance, he was named the 2007 Poinsettia Bowl Most Valuable Player.
In 2008
2008 Utah Utes football team
The 2008 Utah Utes football team represented the University of Utah in the college football season of 2008–2009. The team, coached by 4th year head football coach Kyle Whittingham, plays its home games in Rice–Eccles Stadium...
, Johnson returned as the Utes
2008 Utah Utes football team
The 2008 Utah Utes football team represented the University of Utah in the college football season of 2008–2009. The team, coached by 4th year head football coach Kyle Whittingham, plays its home games in Rice–Eccles Stadium...
' starting quarterback for his final season. In the first game against Rich Rodriguez
Rich Rodriguez
Richard A. "Rich" Rodriguez is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at the University of Arizona. Rodriguez previously served as the head football coach at Salem University , Glenville State College , West Virginia University , and the University...
's Michigan
2008 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 2008 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 2008 college football season. The team's head football coach was Rich Rodriguez. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan...
, he threw for 305 yards in Utah's 25–23 win. They went on to compile wins against Air Force
Air Force Falcons football
The Air Force Falcons are a college football team from the United States Air Force Academy, located just outside of Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the NCAA Division I and the Mountain West Conference.-Style:...
, Oregon State (who the previous week defeated USC
2008 USC Trojans football team
The 2008 University of Southern California Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California during the college football season of 2008–2009...
), and then 12th-ranked TCU
2008 TCU Horned Frogs football team
The 2008 TCU Horned Frogs football team represented Texas Christian University in the 2008 college football season. The team was coached by Gary Patterson. The Frogs played their home games at Amon G. Carter Stadium, which is located on campus in Fort Worth...
, a team that only had one other loss in the season against future BCS Championship Game participants second-ranked Oklahoma. In their final regular season game against 14th-ranked BYU
2008 BYU Cougars football team
The 2008 BYU Cougars football team represented Brigham Young University in the 2008 college football season.Prior to the 2008 season, BYU had won consecutive Mountain West Conference championship titles without losing a conference game. It had also finished with an 11-2 overall record for...
, Johnson threw for 303 yards and four touchdowns in a 48–24 victory. Utah's performance was good enough to secure a sixth-ranked ranking the Bowl Championship Series
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
(BCS) poll and the only non-BCS conference team to secure a berth in a BCS game, the 2009 Sugar Bowl
2009 Sugar Bowl
The 2009 Allstate Sugar Bowl was the 75th annual edition of the annual college football bowl game that is part of the 2008–09 bowl season of the Bowl Championship Series 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season...
, against Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC) Western Division champions Alabama. Alabama had previously been 12–0 and ranked #1 in all the major polls before a defeat in the SEC Championship Game
2008 SEC Championship Game
The 2008 Dr Pepper SEC Championship Game was played on December 6, 2008 in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia to determine the 2008 football champion of the Southeastern Conference . The game featured the Florida Gators and the Alabama Crimson Tide. The Gators were classified as the home team...
against Florida
2008 Florida Gators football team
The 2008 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2008 college football season...
. In the Sugar Bowl, Johnson led then 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 Most Outstanding Player. Utah finished the season as the only undefeated team with a 13–0 record. Johnson was featured as the cover athlete of the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
edition of the NCAA Football 10
NCAA Football 10
NCAA Football 10 is a college football video game created by EA Sports. It was released on July 14, 2009 for the Xbox 360, PS3, PSP, and PlayStation 2 consoles. Brian Johnson, Brian Orakpo, Mark Sanchez, and Michael Crabtree were the cover athletes for the game.NOTHING-Demo:A demo was released June...
video game.
Johnson went 26-7 as a starting quarterback in his career at Utah, finishing as the winningest quarterback in school history.
College statistics
| Passing | Rushing | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | GP | Rating | Att | Comp | Pct | Yds | TD | INT | Sack | Att | Yds | TD | ||
| 2004 | Utah Utes Utah Utes football The Utah Utes football program is a college football team that currently competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I and represents the University of Utah. The Utah college football program began in 1892 and has played home games at Rice–Eccles... | 7 | 124.42 | 20 | 13 | 65 | 126 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 21 | 92 | 1 | ||
| 2005 | Utah Utes Utah Utes football The Utah Utes football program is a college football team that currently competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I and represents the University of Utah. The Utah college football program began in 1892 and has played home games at Rice–Eccles... | 10 | 151.01 | 330 | 210 | 63.6 | 2892 | 18 | 7 | 26 | 152 | 478 | 8 | ||
| 2007 | Utah Utes Utah Utes football The Utah Utes football program is a college football team that currently competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I and represents the University of Utah. The Utah college football program began in 1892 and has played home games at Rice–Eccles... | 11 | 129.61 | 272 | 181 | 66.5 | 1848 | 11 | 10 | 21 | 85 | 150 | 2 | ||
| 2008 | Utah Utes Utah Utes football The Utah Utes football program is a college football team that currently competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I and represents the University of Utah. The Utah college football program began in 1892 and has played home games at Rice–Eccles... | 13 | 149.43 | 394 | 268 | 68.0 | 2972 | 27 | 9 | 26 | 108 | 128 | 1 | ||
| Totals | 41 | 138.62 | 1016 | 672 | 66.14 | 7838 | 57 | 27 | 75 | 366 | 848 | 12 | |||
Professional career
After going undrafted in the 2009 NFL Draft2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
, he was invited to the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
rookie mini-camp along with Tulsa
Tulsa Golden Hurricane football
The University of Tulsa's Golden Hurricane football team represents Tulsa in Conference USA. Tulsa is currently coached by first-year head coach Bill Blankenship. The football team was coached by Todd Graham until he accepted the head coaching job at Pittsburgh....
quarterback David Johnson
David Johnson (American football)
David Johnson is an American former college football quarterback. He played for the Golden Hurricane at the University of Tulsa, where he was the starting quarterback for the 2008 season, after several years as a backup. Johnson finished his senior season as the second-most efficient passer in the...
. He was not subsequently signed by an NFL team, but the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
were reportedly interested in him.
New York Sentinels
Johnson was selected in the inaugural United Football League (UFL) draft by the New York SentinelsNew York Sentinels
The New York Sentinels and Hartford Colonials are a currently inactive professional American football team that played in the United Football League in its 2009 and 2010 seasons...
. Johnson had said at UFL tryouts, "It's a chance to keep playing football ... You have to take every opportunity you can get. You have to keep knocking on doors. You have to show them you can compete, that you have the physical tools they want." He signed with the team on August 5, 2009, but was released on September 28, 2009.
Coaching career
In January 2010, at 23 years of age, Johnson was named the quarterbacks coachQuarterbacks coach
A quarterbacks coach is a coach in charge of the quarterbacks in gridiron football. The quarterbacks coach typically operates under the offensive coordinator on a team's coaching staff....
at the University of Utah by head coach Kyle Whittingham
Kyle Whittingham
Kyle Whittingham is the head football coach of the University of Utah Utes. Prior to becoming the head coach at Utah, Whittingham served as Utah's defensive coordinator for ten seasons. He was named head coach of Utah after Urban Meyer left for the Florida Gators in 2004...
.