[3] He graduated from the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy in 1985, where he played baseball, basketball, and football.

[4] Johnson attended Howard University, where he played on the baseball team all four years and graduated in 1990 with a degree in political science.

[4] Johnson called play-by-play for the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves (1996–97), Big East basketball on the Big East Network, college hockey and college basketball on ESPN and Canadian Football League games for ESPN2, and NFL games for CBS from 1998 to 2010.

After brief stints as an on-air personality with KXXV-TV in Waco, Texas, WAAY-TV in Huntsville, Alabama, and WXII-TV in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, he served as the weekend anchor for WTTG in Washington, D.C. from 1991 to 1992.

He has announced preseason television games for the NFL's Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions as well as the Arena Football League's New York Dragons.

[9] He was also heard as the play-by-play announcer for the fictional football games seen in commercials for Buffalo Wild Wings.

[12] In 2012, Johnson served as radio play-by-play announcer of Major League Soccer's San Jose Earthquakes.

Johnson also worked the first round of the NBA Playoffs for NBATV in 2024 and 1 game for TNT with Jim Jackson and Sideline Reporter Dennis Scott.

[37] December 16, 2001 – Johnson was the main play-by-play announcer alongside color analyst Brent Jones for the now-infamous Bottlegate incident between the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars where Browns fans threw plastic beer bottles onto the field following the referees going back two plays to reverse a call via instant replay, which is against NFL rules.

Perhaps Johnson's most famous Knicks call was his enthusiastic description of Allan Houston's last-second shot to defeat the top-seeded Miami Heat in the first round of the 1998–1999 NBA playoffs.

[38] March 23, 2006 – During the 2006 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, Johnson was calling the Sweet 16 matchup between UCLA and Gonzaga.

Gonzaga held a 71–70 lead with just 19.7 seconds left in the game, needing to wind the clock down while passing the ball in from its own side of the court: Johnson: They throw it to Morrison.

You make them get it over half court, you know you gotta foul- [UCLA guard Jordan Farmar steals the ball from Gonzaga forward J. P. Batista] Woah!

Inside... the freshman up- [nearly inaudible over the crowd cheering as UCLA forward Luc Mbah a Moute scores a layup] Oh and they go in front!

The next day, CBS Sports host Greg Gumbel later joked that Johnson would be "out of the hospital" by the next game.

[38] September 13, 2009 – Johnson was calling an NFL regular season opening game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Denver Broncos.

Though the ball was tipped by Bengals defender Leon Hall, it landed into the hands of Broncos receiver Brandon Stokley, who ran it in for an improbable game-winning touchdown.

"In a later interview on The Dan Patrick Show, Johnson later explained of the play: "I thought I was gonna have a heart attack.

[38] November 14, 2010 – Johnson was announcing another Jacksonville Jaguars game, this time against their AFC South rivals the Houston Texans.

With 0:03 left in regulation, the score tied at 24, and the ball at midfield, the Jaguars and quarterback David Garrard had a chance to win the game and avoid a potential overtime loss.

Texans safety Glover Quin batted the ball down, but the ball miraculously landed in the hands of Jaguars receiver Mike Thomas, resulting in a touchdown, a win for the Jaguars, and one of Gus Johnson’s most memorable calls:[43][44][45][46] Johnson: Garrard… steps up… fires, Mike Sims-Walker…!

Shake, crossover, step baaack [Isaiah Thomas shoots the game winning shot that goes through the net as the clock expires.]

[Ian Wright, the color commentator, laughs] Wigan take a 1-0 lead in the 90+1 minute of the FA Cup final, MIRACLE!

[47][48][49][50]May 25, 2013 – As the play-by-play announcer of the 2013 UEFA Champions League Final between Der Klassiker rivals Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich in the same ground, Johnson lost his mind after Bayern striker Arjen Robben scored the winning goal in the 89th minute.

[51]April 22, 2018 – Johnson called Game 1 of the 2018 Eastern Conference First Round match-up between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics, where Khris Middleton hit a buzzer beating 3 to tie the game at 99 just minutes after Terry Rozier hit a 3 to put the Celtics up with 0.5 seconds left in the 4th quarter.Here’s Antetokounmpo… looking.

What a shot!December 8, 2018 – Johnson called the 2018 Citi Hoops Classic match-up between the Seton Hall Pirates and the 9th ranked Kentucky Wildcats at Madison Square Garden, where Keldon Johnson took a pass from P. J. Washington and made a half-court shot at the buzzer to tie the game at 70.

[52] September 18, 2021 – On the 50th anniversary of the "Game of the Century" between Oklahoma and Nebraska, Johnson was the play-by-play announcer when the two teams faced each other again.

Cardinal placekicker Matt Prater attempted a 68-yard field goal before halftime to top his previous league record 64-yarder in 2013, with the Jaguars readying Jamal Agnew for a possible return of a miss from the end zone.

With Prater's kick trajectory short (by coincidence, Justin Tucker would hit a 66-yard winner in Detroit the same day, winning the game for Baltimore and earning the record), Agnew caught the ball 109 yards away in the Jaguars end zone, setting up Johnson for an enthusiastic call of his 'kick-six' runback: So here we go, Matt Prater, ready to attempt a 68-yarder, for NFL history.

(cuts to replay with Aqib Talib's analysis of the play)[55][56][57] Johnson's call, which had him screaming at the top of his lungs, was well received by several fans and commentators.