Pepper Johnson facts for kids
Johnson as a coach for the New England Patriots in 2007
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| No. 52, 53, 99 | |||||||||
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| Position: | Linebacker | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | July 29, 1964 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 259 lb (117 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Mackenzie (Detroit) | ||||||||
| College: | Ohio State (1982–1985) | ||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1986 / Round: 2 / Pick: 51 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||
Thomas "Pepper" Johnson (born July 29, 1964) is a famous American football player and coach. He played as a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons. Pepper is especially known for his time with the New York Giants. He won two Super Bowl championships with the Giants. After his playing career, he became a successful coach. He later won three more Super Bowls as a coach with the New England Patriots.
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Pepper Johnson's Football Journey
Playing in College
Pepper Johnson attended Mackenzie High School in Detroit. After high school, he played college football for the Ohio State University Buckeyes. He was a key player for the Buckeyes from 1982 to 1985. Pepper led his team in tackles during both the 1984 and 1985 seasons. His teammates recognized his talent, naming him defensive MVP twice. In 1985, he was honored as an All-American. He finished his college career with an impressive 379 tackles. In 2001, he was inducted into the Ohio State Varsity O Hall of Fame.
Playing in the NFL
Pepper Johnson was chosen by the New York Giants in the second round of the 1986 NFL draft. With the Giants, he was part of two championship teams. These teams won Super Bowl XXI and Super Bowl XXV. He played for the Giants for seven seasons.
After his time with the Giants, Pepper joined the Cleveland Browns in 1993. He played for the Browns until the end of the 1995 season. After that, he played one season with the Detroit Lions in 1996. For the last two seasons of his playing career, Pepper played for the New York Jets. He retired from the NFL after the 1998 season. He had a great career with 983 tackles, 25.5 sacks, and 14 interceptions.
Coaching Football Teams
Starting as a Coach
Pepper Johnson began his coaching career with the New England Patriots in 2000. He started as an assistant linebackers coach. He then became the inside linebackers coach from 2001 to 2003. Later, he coached the defensive line from 2004 to 2011. In 2012, he returned to coaching linebackers. During his 14 seasons with the Patriots, he helped the team win three Super Bowls. These championships were XXXVI, XXXVIII, and XXXIX.
Coaching Other Teams
In 2014, Pepper Johnson left the Patriots. He became the defensive line coach for the Buffalo Bills. After one season, he moved to the New York Jets as their defensive line coach. His time with the Jets ended after the 2016 season.
In 2018, Pepper was hired as the defensive line coach for the Memphis Express in the Alliance of American Football. After that league stopped playing, he joined the Los Angeles Wildcats in the XFL for the 2020 season. His time with the Wildcats ended after the first game of the season. In 2021, Pepper Johnson became the head coach at IMG Academy in Florida. In 2022, he worked as a defensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Bandits in the USFL.
Pepper's Personal Life
Pepper Johnson's unique nickname, "Pepper," came from his aunt. She noticed that he loved to put black pepper on his corn flakes when he was a child!
Pepper has a son named Dionte Johnson, who was born in 1986. Dionte also played football for the Ohio State Buckeyes. In 2007, Dionte was chosen as a captain for the Ohio State team. This made Pepper and Dionte one of only a few father-son duos to be captains for the Buckeyes. Pepper also has a daughter, Aanjeya Johnson, born in 2009, with his wife Shanna.
