Delano Johnson facts for kids

Delano Johnson (born January 13, 1988) is a former professional football player. He played as a defensive end in both Canadian football and American football leagues. Delano went to Bowie State University for college. During his career, he played for teams like the Houston Texans, Toronto Argonauts, Portland Thunder/Steel, and Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Early Life and High School Football

Delano Johnson started playing football when he was in his junior year of high school. He attended Dunbar High School in Baltimore, Maryland.

College Football Career

Delano Johnson played college football for the Bowie State Bulldogs. He was part of the team from 2007 to 2011. During his time there, he made 219 tackles, which means he stopped the opposing team's players many times. He also caught six interceptions, which is when a defensive player catches a pass meant for an offensive player.

Johnson was very good at blocking kicks and punts. In 2010, he set a school record by blocking seven kicks or punts in one season. He also holds the school record for blocking the most kicks and punts in his entire college career, with eleven. After his senior year, he played in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, which is a game for top college players hoping to join the NFL. Besides football, Delano also played basketball for Bowie State during his first two years. He studied pedagogy, which is the study of how to teach, at Bowie State.

Professional Football Career

Delano Johnson played for several professional football teams. He spent time in both the National Football League (NFL) and the Canadian Football League (CFL).

Houston Texans

After college, Delano Johnson was not chosen in the 2012 NFL draft. However, he signed with the Houston Texans on April 30, 2012. He was later released by the Texans on August 31, 2012. The next day, he joined the team's practice squad. A practice squad is a group of players who train with the team but are not on the main roster. In January 2013, he signed a "futures deal" with the Texans, which meant he would join the team for the next season. However, he was released again on August 30, 2013.

Toronto Argonauts

In 2014, Delano Johnson moved to the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played for the Toronto Argonauts. He started in all ten games he played that year. He made 13 tackles and also had one sack, which is when a defensive player tackles the opposing quarterback. He also forced one fumble, meaning he caused the offensive player to drop the ball. In the 2015 season, he played in two games for the Argonauts before being released on July 31, 2015.

Portland Thunder/Steel

On November 5, 2015, Johnson was assigned to the Portland Thunder, an Arena Football League (AFL) team. The Arena Football League plays a faster version of football indoors on a smaller field. On February 24, 2016, the team changed its name from the Thunder to the Portland Steel. Delano was placed on a special list on March 2, 2016, which meant he was temporarily unavailable to play for the team.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Delano Johnson signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, another CFL team, on April 18, 2016. He played for them for about a year before being released on May 16, 2017.

Personal Life

Delano Johnson enjoys spending his time helping and guiding children. He owns a barbershop called FINAO LOVE. The name FINAO stands for "Failure Is Not An Option," and LOVE stands for "Living Our Vision Every Day." This shows his positive outlook on life. Sadly, his mother passed away during his first year of college.