Pepper Johnson facts for kids
Johnson in 2007 as a coach for the New England Patriots
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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: | 250 lb (113 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Mackenzie (Detroit, Michigan) | ||||||||
| College: | Ohio State (1982–1985) | ||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1986 / Round: 2 / Pick: 51 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| As coach: | |||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||
Thomas "Pepper" Johnson (born July 29, 1964) is a well-known American football coach. He used to be a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). Pepper played for 13 seasons, with the first seven years spent with the New York Giants.
He helped the Giants win two Super Bowl championships. After that, he played for the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, and New York Jets. When his playing career ended, Johnson became an assistant coach. He worked for the New England Patriots and won three more Super Bowls as a coach.
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Pepper Johnson's Football Journey
Playing in College
After graduating from Detroit's Mackenzie High School, Pepper Johnson played college football. He joined the Ohio State University Buckeyes team. He played under head coach Earle Bruce.
Johnson earned a "varsity letter" every year from 1982 to 1985. This means he was an important part of the team. He led the team in tackles in both 1984 and 1985. His teammates chose him as a co-captain and defensive MVP in those same years. In 1985, he was named an All-American. This is a big honor for college players.
Pepper finished his college career with 379 tackles, 5 sacks, and 12 tackles for loss. In 2001, he was honored by being put into the Ohio State Varsity O Hall of Fame.
Playing in the NFL
The New York Giants picked Pepper Johnson in the second round of the 1986 NFL draft. This was a big step into professional football. With the Giants, he was part of two teams that won the Super Bowl. These were Super Bowl XXI and Super Bowl XXV. He played under head coach Bill Parcells and assistant coach Bill Belichick.
After seven seasons with the Giants, Johnson joined Belichick again. This time, he played for the Cleveland Browns in 1993. Belichick was the head coach there. After the 1995 season, the Browns team moved to a new city. Johnson then played for the Detroit Lions for one season in 1996.
For his last two seasons, Johnson reunited with Belichick one more time. Belichick was then the defensive coordinator for the New York Jets. Pepper Johnson retired from the NFL after the 1998 season. He finished his playing career with 25.5 sacks, 12 forced fumbles, and 14 interceptions. He also had 983 tackles.
Coaching Career Highlights
Pepper Johnson started his coaching career with the New England Patriots in 2000. He began as an assistant linebackers coach. He then became the inside linebackers coach from 2001 to 2003. In 2004, he moved to coaching the defensive line. Later, in 2012, he returned to coaching linebackers.
As a coach with the Patriots, Johnson won three more Super Bowls. These were Super Bowl XXXVI, Super Bowl XXXVIII, and Super Bowl XXXIX. This made him a five-time Super Bowl champion, counting his playing days.
On January 21, 2014, Johnson announced he was leaving the Patriots. He then became the defensive line coach for the Buffalo Bills. After that, he coached the defensive line for the New York Jets. He was later a coach for the Memphis Express in 2019. In 2020, he joined the Los Angeles Wildcats as their defensive coordinator. In 2021, he became the head coach of IMG Academy in Florida. He also coached for the Tampa Bay Bandits in 2022.
Pepper's Personal Life
Pepper Johnson's unique nickname came from his aunt. She noticed that he liked to put black pepper on his corn flakes cereal.
Pepper has a son named Dionte Johnson, who was born on June 28, 1986. Dionte also played fullback for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He also played for the Arizona Cardinals. In 2007, Dionte was chosen as a captain for the Ohio State team. This made Pepper and Dionte one of the few father-son duos to be captains in Buckeye history. Pepper also has a daughter, Aanjeya Johnson, born in 2009.
