He also was a member of the Buffalo Bills and Dallas Texans in the American Football League (AFL).
Johnson attended Carrick High School, where he played as a running back.
As a senior, he settled as a two-way player at offensive end and defensive back, becoming a starter for the first time in his college career.
[4] On September 20, 1960, he was signed by the Buffalo Bills of the American Football League and became a part of the franchise's inaugural season.
On April 10, 1962, he was traded along with Paul Miller from the Dallas Texans to the New York Titans, in exchange for the rights to defensive end Curt Merz.