Competing in ice dancing with Mary Campbell, he became the 1973 national champion and finished 6th at the 1973 World Championships.

Competing as a pair skater with Melissa Militano, he became a two-time (1974 and 1975) U.S. national champion[1] and finished 6th at the 1975 World Championships.

For a number of years he split his time between skating and Little League Baseball, where he had developed the ability to pitch both left- and right-handed.

[3] When his coach left the Detroit area, Johns began to work with Ronald Ludington, who insisted that he give up on baseball and concentrate of skating year-round.

Johns coached at the Detroit Skating Club for 27 years before moving to the Arctic Edge Ice Arena in Canton, Michigan in 2006.