[1] He played collegiately for the Grambling State Tigers,[2] where, as a senior, he was honored by The Sporting News as a first-team All-American.
[3] Johnson was selected by the Chicago Blitz of the United States Football League in the 1983 USFL Draft after a college football career at Grambling State University.
In 1984, Johnson played for the Arizona Wranglers and caught 90 passes for 1258 yards with 13 touchdowns.
He then switched to the National Football League in 1985 and played for the San Diego Chargers as a reserve wide receiver for the next two seasons.
He joined the Buffalo Bills in 1987 and had his biggest NFL season there in 1988 when he caught 38 passes for 528 yards.