Jaymar Johnson (born July 10, 1984) is an American former professional football wide receiver. He was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL draft. He played college football at Jackson State.
 Johnson with the Minnesota Vikings in 2008 | |||||||
| No. 11, 83 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born: | July 10, 1984 Gary, Indiana, U.S. | ||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 176 lb (80 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Gary (IN) William A. Wirt | ||||||
| College: | Jackson State | ||||||
| NFL draft: | 2008 / round: 6 / pick: 193 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
| |||||||
Johnson also played for the Arizona Cardinals.
Early life
editJohnson was born on July 10, 1984, in Gary, Indiana. As a kid, he won seven Pop Warner trophies and his nickname was "Double-J".[1]
As a senior in high school he was named All-State, All-Area and All-Conference.[2]
Shootings
editAs a teenager, Johnson left his aunt's home in Gary with his nephew (William M. Fields Jr.) and was caught in the crossfire of a gun battle about 100 yards from his location.[3][4]
A few years later during a pickup basketball game, Johnson fled with his cousins and later discovered his t-shirt had been grazed by a bullet.[3][4]
College career
editJohnson attended Jackson State University and debuted for the Tigers against Alabama State and future teammate Tarvaris Jackson.[5] As a junior, he had a career-high 199 receiving yards against Southern.[5] During his last three seasons at Jackson State, Johnson started in every game.[5] He majored in health education at Jackson State.[5]
Professional career
editMinnesota Vikings
editJohnson was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL draft, through a pick acquired from trading Troy Williamson to the Jacksonville Jaguars.[6] He became the first Jackson State player to be drafted since Sylvester Morris in the 2000 NFL draft.[5] He was cut late during training camp but was re-signed to the practice squad on September 1, 2008. He spent most of the year on the practice squad.[5] According to Vikings head coach Brad Childress, during the 2009 offseason, Johnson put on 17 pounds getting up to 187 and is currently the hardest worker on the team.[7]
During the 2010 preseason, Johnson was placed on the Injured Reserve list, having broken his left thumb in the Week 1 preseason game against the St. Louis Rams. The injury allowed the Vikings to re-register returning quarterback Brett Favre to their 53-man roster.[8]
On September 2, 2011, he was waived by Minnesota.
Arizona Cardinals
editThe Arizona Cardinals signed him to their practice squad on September 20. He was promoted to the active roster on November 29. Johnson was waived on December 23, 2011. Johnson was added to the practice squad on December 28, 2011. He was waived on August 25, 2012.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
editJohnson signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League in April 2014.[9] Johnson was released from the team on June 20, 2014.[10]
Personal
editHis brother James played college football at Arkansas-Pine Bluff.[5] He is the youngest of eight children[5] and enjoys playing the saxophone[5] and planned on joining the medical field following his college career.[5] His wife (Kassy Johnson) is a special education teacher at Eden Prairie High School in Minneapolis, Minnesota.[7]
References
edit- ^ Hamnik, Al (July 13, 2008). "Jaymar Johnson helps inspire Gary Pop Warner". NWI Times. Retrieved May 15, 2009.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Jaymar Johnson". Jackson State University. Archived from the original on June 7, 2008. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
- ^ a b Haugh, David (April 21, 2008). "This receiver running right route". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
- ^ a b Zulgad, Judd (May 4, 2008). "Vikings rookie camp: Sports was his way out of danger". Minneapolis Star Tribune. Archived from the original on May 15, 2009. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Jaymar Johnson". Minnesota Vikings. Archived from the original on July 27, 2009. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
- ^ "2008 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
- ^ a b Scroggins, Chip (June 4, 2009). "Childress praises Robison, Johnson". Minneapolis Star Tribune. Archived from the original on August 13, 2009. Retrieved June 5, 2009.
- ^ "Jaymar Johnson Goes On Injured Reserve". vikings.com. Minnesota Vikings Football. August 22, 2010. Archived from the original on August 26, 2010. Retrieved August 23, 2010.
- ^ [1] [dead link]
- ^ "Bombers announce releases". June 20, 2014.