Kevin Johnson

Kevin Lamar Johnson (October 30, 1970 – January 21, 2026) was an American professional football player who was a defensive tackle for three seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Philadelphia Eagles and Oakland Raiders. He was selected by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 1993 NFL draft. He played college football at Los Angeles Harbor College and Texas Southern University. He also played for the Orlando Predators and Los Angeles Avengers of the Arena Football League (AFL).

Early life and college Kevin Lamar Johnson was born on October 30, 1970, in Los Angeles, California. He attended Westchester High School in Los Angeles,

Johnson first played college football at Los Angeles Harbor College from 1989 to 1990.

Professional career Johnson was selected by the New England Patriots in the fourth round, with the 86th overall pick, of the 1993 NFL draft. He officially signed with the team on June 30. He was signed to the practice squad of the Minnesota Vikings on September 1, 1993.

He was claimed off waivers by the Philadelphia Eagles on August 29, 1995. He was an offensive lineman/defensive lineman during his time in the AFL as the league played under ironman rules. Johnson appeared in ten games during the 1999 season, totaling five solo tackles, eight assisted tackles, and one sack.

Johnson signed with the Los Angeles Avengers of the AFL for the 2000 season. He was placed on injured reserve on April 11, 2000. He re-signed with the team on May 23, 2001. Johnson's friends, as well as trained neuroscientists, said that he likely had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a neurological condition caused by repeated trauma, common in football players, and had been homeless for years.