A left-handed pitcher, he appeared in three Major League games during the early days of the 1970 season as a member of the San Francisco Giants.

Born in Muskegon, Michigan, he stood 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) tall and weighed 195 pounds (88 kg).

He pitched creditably and held the Giants close until the fourth inning, when Atlanta reached him for five hits and five earned runs en route to a 9–3 Braves' triumph.

[3] In his second appearance, three days later against the Houston Astros, Johnson worked two hitless innings but his three bases on balls resulted in another earned run charged against his record; however, the Giants won that contest 11–9.

Johnson became an educator after leaving baseball, and in 1983 he was named superintendent of schools in North Muskegon, Michigan.