Johnson returns to the Chargers for his fifth season to tutor a young defensive line that ranked sixth in the NFL against the run in 2012.
Two players who stood out from the ’12 squad were defensive ends Corey Liuget and Kendall Reyes. Reyes was the team’s second-round pick in ’12 and he finished the year third on the team with 5.5 sacks, while Liuget, the top pick in the 2011 draft, finished the year second on the squad with seven sacks. Reyes paced the defensive line in 2012 with 19 quarterback pressures and 15 quarterback hits, while Liuget ended the year as the defensive line’s leader in sacks, tackles (61), tackles for loss (15) and passes defensed (9).
In 2010, Johnson helped the Chargers lead the NFL in total defense. The Bolts ranked second in the league in sacks and fourth in run defense. Defensive tackle Antonio Garay enjoyed a breakout season, earning Pro Bowl alternate recognition after setting career highs and leading the defensive line in tackles, sacks, tackles for loss and quarterback hits.
Johnson came to San Diego from Chicago, where he was a mentor to two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Tommie Harris and helped the Bears to the 2006 NFC title a berth in Super Bowl XLI.
Johnson began his quest to become an NFL coach when he participated in the NFL’s Minority Internship Coaching Program with the San Francisco 49ers in 1997 and ’98.
A native of Newark, N.J., Johnson played linebacker at Butler Community College and Jersey City State in the mid-1970s. He earned a tryout with the New York Jets and later played for the USFL’s New Jersey Generals.
Johnson has spent 26 years as a high school and college basketball official, including eight at the NCAA Division I level. He was the president of the Orange County (Calif.) Basketball Officials Association for four years and the California Basketball Officials Association for two.
Johnson and his wife, Deborah, have two daughters, Denise and Leanna, and a son, Don, Jr. Their son, Duane, died in an automobile accident in 2002.
Johnson returns to the Chargers for his fifth season to tutor a young defensive line that ranked sixth in the NFL against the run in 2012.
Two players who stood out from the ’12 squad were defensive ends Corey Liuget and Kendall Reyes. Reyes was the team’s second-round pick in ’12 and he finished the year third on the team with 5.5 sacks, while Liuget, the top pick in the 2011 draft, finished the year second on the squad with seven sacks. Reyes paced the defensive line in 2012 with 19 quarterback pressures and 15 quarterback hits, while Liuget ended the year as the defensive line’s leader in sacks, tackles (61), tackles for loss (15) and passes defensed (9).
In 2010, Johnson helped the Chargers lead the NFL in total defense. The Bolts ranked second in the league in sacks and fourth in run defense. Defensive tackle Antonio Garay enjoyed a breakout season, earning Pro Bowl alternate recognition after setting career highs and leading the defensive line in tackles, sacks, tackles for loss and quarterback hits.
Johnson came to San Diego from Chicago, where he was a mentor to two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Tommie Harris and helped the Bears to the 2006 NFC title a berth in Super Bowl XLI.
Johnson began his quest to become an NFL coach when he participated in the NFL’s Minority Internship Coaching Program with the San Francisco 49ers in 1997 and ’98.
A native of Newark, N.J., Johnson played linebacker at Butler Community College and Jersey City State in the mid-1970s. He earned a tryout with the New York Jets and later played for the USFL’s New Jersey Generals.
Johnson has spent 26 years as a high school and college basketball official, including eight at the NCAA Division I level. He was the president of the Orange County (Calif.) Basketball Officials Association for four years and the California Basketball Officials Association for two.
Johnson and his wife, Deborah, have two daughters, Denise and Leanna, and a son, Don, Jr. Their son, Duane, died in an automobile accident in 2002.
