He would eventually develop into a top athlete at Anderson High School, where he received All-State and All-American honors in both sports as a senior (in football as an End).
As a junior, he was named the starter at center, averaging 18.2 points and 12.2 rebounds per game, while being voted team MVP.
As a senior, he began to experiment with alcohol and drugs, which although it was speculated on the media that it affected his play on the court, he would repeat as the team MVP and received All-Big Ten honors, after averaging 14.7 points and 10.5 rebounds per game.
He followed on the foot steps of Cornell Green, Peter Gent and Percy Howard, as basketball players that were converted by the Cowboys to play professional football.
In 1976, the Bengals traded for Coy Bacon, who played at a Pro Bowl level and relegated Johnson back into a reserve role.