Bryant Johnson
Encyclopedia
Bryant Andrew Johnson is an American football
wide receiver
for the Houston Texans
of the National Football League
He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals
17th overall in the 2003 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Penn State
.
Johnson has also played for the San Francisco 49ers
and Detroit Lions
.
high school, excelling at football
, basketball
, and track
. He was selected first-team all-state and the 1998 Baltimore Touchdown Club’s offensive player-of-the-year from the Knight's football team
, Johnson also anchored a winning relay team at the Penn Relays
for the school's track team.
, starting his final two years. He was the sixth player in PSU history to catch more than 100 career passes, and finished second all-time with 2,008 career receiving yards.
Johnson earned a Bachelor of Arts
in sociology
from Penn State University
in 2005.
and Larry Fitzgerald
being higher on the depth chart. His 35 catches in 2003 was the third most receptions for a rookie
(his teammate Anquan Boldin had the most receptions for a rookie that year). In his 5 year career with the Cardinals he caught 210 passes for 2675 yards and 9 TDs.
Johnson scored the inaugural touchdown
at University of Phoenix Stadium
, a 5-yard reception from Kurt Warner
in the Arizona Cardinals
preseason game on August 12, 2006.
on March 14, 2008. He had 45 receptions for 546 yards and three touchdowns the 2008 season
, his fifth straight season with 40 or more receptions. In his tenure with the 49ers, he changed his jersey number from 80 to 82 in respect of retired 49ers WR Jerry Rice
, whose jersey number 80 was retired in his honor.
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...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
for the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
17th overall in the 2003 NFL Draft
2003 NFL Draft
The 2003 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft was held April 26–27, 2003 at the Theatre at...
. 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 Penn State
Penn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
.
Johnson has also played for the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
and Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
.
Early years
Johnson attended Baltimore City CollegeBaltimore City College football
The Baltimore City College football team, known as the "Knights", or formerly, the "Collegians" or "Alamedans", represents the Baltimore City College preparatory school of Baltimore, Maryland...
high school, excelling at football
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...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, and track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
. He was selected first-team all-state and the 1998 Baltimore Touchdown Club’s offensive player-of-the-year from the Knight's football team
Baltimore City College football
The Baltimore City College football team, known as the "Knights", or formerly, the "Collegians" or "Alamedans", represents the Baltimore City College preparatory school of Baltimore, Maryland...
, Johnson also anchored a winning relay team at the Penn Relays
Penn Relays
The Penn Relays is the oldest and largest track and field competition in the United States, hosted annually since April 21, 1895 by the University of Pennsylvania at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
for the school's track team.
College career
Johnson was a star wide receiver for Penn StatePenn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
, starting his final two years. He was the sixth player in PSU history to catch more than 100 career passes, and finished second all-time with 2,008 career receiving yards.
Johnson earned a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
from Penn State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
in 2005.
Professional career
Arizona Cardinals
Johnson played three years predominantly as the Cardinals' third option receiver, playing mainly out of the slot receiver role, due to Anquan BoldinAnquan Boldin
-Arizona Cardinals:As a rookie Boldin set an NFL record for most receiving yards by a rookie in his first game , tied Billy Sims for most yards from scrimmage by a rookie in his first game , and holds the NFL record for most receptions in the first 26 games of an NFL career...
and Larry Fitzgerald
Larry Fitzgerald
Larry Darnell Fitzgerald, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League, and currently ranks fourth all-time in league history in receiving yards per game for a career , behind Andre Johnson, Torry Holt, and Marvin Harrison...
being higher on the depth chart. His 35 catches in 2003 was the third most receptions for a rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
(his teammate Anquan Boldin had the most receptions for a rookie that year). In his 5 year career with the Cardinals he caught 210 passes for 2675 yards and 9 TDs.
Johnson scored the inaugural touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
at University of Phoenix Stadium
University of Phoenix Stadium
University of Phoenix Stadium, opened August 1, 2006, is a multipurpose football stadium located in Glendale, Arizona. It is the home of the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League and the annual Fiesta Bowl...
, a 5-yard reception from Kurt Warner
Kurt Warner
Kurtis Eugene "Kurt" Warner is a retired American football player. He played quarterback for three National Football League teams: the St. Louis Rams, the New York Giants, and the Arizona Cardinals. He was originally signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 1994 after playing...
in the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
preseason game on August 12, 2006.
San Francisco 49ers
Johnson signed a one-year deal with the San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
on March 14, 2008. He had 45 receptions for 546 yards and three touchdowns the 2008 season
2008 NFL season
The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the...
, his fifth straight season with 40 or more receptions. In his tenure with the 49ers, he changed his jersey number from 80 to 82 in respect of retired 49ers WR Jerry Rice
Jerry Rice
Jerry Lee Rice is a retired American football wide receiver. He is generally regarded as the greatest wide receiver of all time and one of the greatest players in National Football League history...
, whose jersey number 80 was retired in his honor.