Derrick Johnson #56 Kansas City Chiefs Profile Website

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College
 An aggressive, speedy and explosive linebacker who established himself as one of the nation’s premier defensive players … earned the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the nation’s top defensive player and the Butkus Award (nation’s top LB) ... was a finalist for the Bednarik Award (nation’s top defensive player), the Lombardi Award (nation’s top lineman) and the Lott Trophy (defensive player of the year) in 2004 … was the only defensive player among the 10 finalists for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award … earned unanimous first-team All-America accolades ... was a unanimous selection as the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2004 … named the preseason National Defensive Player of the Year by Lindy's, Athlon and Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook … tabbed a preseason first-team All-American by Street & Smith's … picked as the top NFL prospect entering 2004 by Lindy's … also rated as one of the Top 10 prospects for the 2004 Heisman Trophy by that publication … projected as the nation’s top outside linebacker entering 2004 by The Sporting News … earned a spot on the prestigious Playboy Preseason All-American Team for the second time in 2004 … was one of three Butkus Award finalists in 2003 … was the only returning player among that group … projected by many as a first-round NFL draft pick, but elected to return for his senior year … is the first player in Texas history to be honored as a Butkus finalist and was a semifinalist for the award in 2002 … in 2003, was UT’s first consensus first-team All-American LB since Jeff Leiding in 1983 … tabbed first-team All-America by The Associate Press, the Football Writers Association of America and the Walter Camp Football Foundation … earned second-team All-America honors from The Sporting News … a two-time first-team All-Big 12 selection … played in 50 career games, including bowl games, and started 40 overall … tallied 458 career tackles (No. 3 on UT’s career list), 281 solo tackles (No. 4 on UT’s career list), 65 TFLs (No. 1 on UT’s career list), 10.5 sacks, 39 QB pressures, 29 PBUs (UT record for LBs), nine interceptions (No. 1 on UT’s interceptions by a LB list), 11 forced fumbles (T-No. 3 on UT’s career list) and five fumble recoveries … averaged 21.7 yards per return on his nine career picks … recorded 24 career double-digit tackle games and led UT in tackles 23 times … in 18 career games against Top 25 opponents, has posted 175 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 31 TFLs, four interceptions, nine PBUs, 19 pressures, three caused fumbles and a fumble recovery … started all 12 games in 2004 and posted 130 tackles (73 solo), 19 TFLs, 10 pressures, eight PBUs, nine caused fumbles (No. 1 on NCAA single-season list), two sacks and a blocked extra point … forced a fumble on one out of every 14.4 tackles in 2004 … earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors three times in 2004 … started all 13 games in 2003 and recorded 125 tackles, 20 TFLs, two sacks, 10 pressures, nine PBUs, four interceptions (T-No. 1 on UT’s single-season INT by a LB list), one forced fumble and three fumble recoveries … six of his seven turnovers forced in 2003 either resulted in scores or set up short touchdown drives … his 20 TFLs in 2003 rank seventh-best nationally among returning players in 2004 … started all 13 games and registered 120 tackles, 13 TFLs, two sacks, 10 pressures, 10 PBUs and four interceptions (T-No. 1 on UT’s single-season interceptions by a linebacker list) en route to first-team All-Big 12 honors in 2002 … also earned a spot among the Butkus Award semifinalists list (just the second player in UT history to earn that honor) … saw action in all 13 games, including two starts as a true freshman … named the Defensive MVP of the Holiday Bowl after recording nine tackles, a sack and an interception that led to UT's first go-ahead TD in the fourth quarter versus Washington … The Sporting News' National Freshman of the Year (2001) … earned first-team Freshman All-America honors from The Sporting News and Football Writers Association of America … named the Big 12 co-Defensive Freshman of the Year … a second-team all-conference and Defensive Newcomer of the Year selection by the Houston Chronicle … led all Big 12 freshmen in tackles (83) and sacks (4.5) and ranked second in TFLs (13) … ranked second nationally among all true freshmen defenders in TFLs and sacks and fourth in tackles … finished the year in third place on UT's freshman sacks list, fourth in TFLs and eighth in tackles … his TFLs and sack totals rank first all-time among UT freshman linebackers … a Parade All-American who once posted 30 tackles in a high school game ... ran a 10.5-second 100 meters as a prepster.

Senior (2004)
Earned the Nagurski Trophy as the nation’s top defensive player and the Butkus Award (nation’s top LB) ... was a finalist for the Bednarik Award (nation’s top defensive player), the Lombardi Award (nation’s top lineman) and the Lott Trophy (defensive player of the year) … was the only defensive player named as one of 10 finalists for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award … earned unanimous first-team All-America accolades ... was a unanimous selection for Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year … started all 12 games at weakside LB … led a defense that has allowed just 320.1 yards per game (23rd NCAA) and 17.9 points per game (18th NCAA) … posted 130 tackles (73 solo), 19 TFLs, 10 pressures, eight PBUs, nine caused fumbles (No. 1 on NCAA single-season list), two sacks and a blocked extra point … forced a fumble on one out of every 14.4 tackles … earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors three times … opened the season versus North Texas forcing three fumbles and leading the team in tackles with nine … posted a team-high 14 stops and a forced fumble in the victory at Arkansas … was tabbed the Big 12 Player of the Week for his efforts in that game … against Rice, led the team with 11 tackles while forcing a fumble and recording three TFLs … again recorded 14 tackles versus Baylor, including three TFLs, and added a forced fumble … posted 16 tackles to go with a forced fumble and an INT versus No. 2 Oklahoma … against Missouri, notched 12 tackles, three TFLs and four QB pressures … was tabbed Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week for the second time for his efforts against the Tigers … at Texas Tech, registered three tackles, three pressures and a PBU … led the team with 10 tackles at Colorado, along with a sack and forced his eighth fumble of the season to set a UT single-season record and tie the NCAA record … tallied a career-high 18 tackles versus No. 19 Oklahoma State, joining Aaron Harris in recording 18 tackles in a single game in 2004 … they became the first players since Ahmad Brooks (22 vs. Colorado, 2001) to record 18-plus tackles in a game … were also just the second and third to do so since 1996 (Chris Carter, 18 vs. Notre Dame) … received Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance against OSU … recorded 11 tackles, three TFLs and three PBUs at Kansas … had 10 tackles, two TFLs, a sack, two PBUs, a pressure and a blocked extra point against No. 22 Texas A&M … wore jersey number 60 against the Aggies in honor of former UT linebacker Tommy Nobis (1963-65) and other great UT linebackers … recorded two tackles and broke the NCAA single-season record by forcing his ninth fumble in UT’s victory over #13 Michigan.

Junior (2003)
Started all 13 games, including the Holiday Bowl, at weakside linebacker … named one of three Butkus Award finalists … first player in Texas history to be honored as a Butkus finalist … was UT’s first consensus first-team All-American LB since Jeff Leiding in 1983 … tabbed first-team All-American by The Associated Press, the Football Writers Association of America and the Walter Camp Football Foundation … earned second-team All-America honors from The Sporting News … unanimous first-team All-Big 12 pick … named UT’s Mike Campbell Most Valuable Defensive Player ... garnered UT’s Mike Campbell Defensive Player of the Week four times … recorded 125 tackles, 20 TFLs, two sacks, 10 pressures, nine PBUs, four interceptions (T-No. 1 on UT’s single-season INT by a LB list), one forced fumble and three fumble recoveries in 2003 … six of his seven turnovers forced in 2003 either resulted in scores or set up short touchdown drives … posted 10 or more tackles seven times … registered or tied the team high in tackles eight times in 13 games … in four games against Top 25 opponents, posted 50 tackles, 12 TFLs, three PBUs, one interception, five pressures and a caused fumble … key member of a defense which ranked ninth in the NCAA in pass defense (177.3 ypg), 25th in the nation in total defense (329.8 ypg) and 32nd in the country in scoring defense (21.5 ppg) … tallied a team-high 11 tackles, one sack, one TFL, one PBU, one QB pressure and returned an interception for a TD in the season-opener against New Mexico State … posted a team high and tied his career high with a 14-tackle effort against Arkansas, which also included two TFLs and one pressure … tied the team high with 11 tackles and a fumble recovery at Rice to share the Mike Campbell Defensive Player of the Week award … registered six tackles, two PBUs, recovered a fumble and had two interceptions against Tulane … returned one of his two interceptions to the Green Wave one-yard line … received both the Big 12 Conference and UT’s Mike Campbell Defensive Player of the Week accolades for his performance in that game … recorded a team-high 10 tackles, three TFLs, and a PBU in the win against No. 16 Kansas State … registered a team-high 13 tackles vs. No. 1 Oklahoma … tallied a team-high nine tackles at Iowa State … had five tackles and one sack with two pressures at Baylor … intercepted his fourth pass of the season (T-No. 1 on UT’s single-season INT by LB list) to go along with a team-high 11 tackles, a forced fumble, four pressures and four TFLs versus No. 12 Nebraska … named the Nagurski Award’s National Defensive Player of the Week and earned UT’s Mike Campbell Defensive Player of the Week award for his accomplishments versus Nebraska … had seven tackles at Oklahoma State with two going for losses … recorded a team-high 11 tackles, including a season-high nine solo tackles, versus Texas Tech … finished the regular season with a team-high eight tackles at Texas A&M … had nine tackles, two for a loss, a PBU and a pressure versus No. 15 Washington State in the Holiday Bowl.

Sophomore (2002)
Started all 13 games, including the Cotton Bowl, at weakside linebacker … a consensus first-team All-Big 12 selection … became just the second UT linebacker to be named a Butkus Award semifinalist … named UT’s Outstanding Linebacker … ranked second on the team with 120 tackles (team-high 73 solo) and in a second-place tie with four interceptions (T-No. 1 on UT’s single-season interceptions by a LB list) … averaged 9.2 tackles per contest and recorded six double-digit games … also registered 13 TFLs, two of sacks, 10 QB pressures and 10 PBUs (UT record for LBs) … led the team in tackles three times … key member of a Longhorns defense that led the Big 12 and ranked eighth in the NCAA in pass defense (165.2 ypg.), seventh in the nation in pass efficiency defense (96.1 rtg.), eighth in the country in scoring defense (16.3 ppg.) and 16th nationally in total defense (307.7 ypg.) … a three-time UT Mike Campbell Defensive Player of the Week honoree … registered a team-high 12 tackles, three TFLs and two pressures in season-opening shutout against North Texas and earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors … registered a career-best 14 tackles (11 solo), two sacks and three pressures at No. 17 Kansas State … recorded a team-high 12 tackles at Nebraska … added 12 stops, an interception, two PBUs and one pressure against No. 2 Oklahoma … posted 10 tackles, three TFLs and an interception in the Cotton Bowl against LSU … recorded 10 tackles, a QB pressure and an interception against Oklahoma State … posted nine tackles, two TFLs and a pair of PBUs against No. 17 Iowa State … tallied a team-high nine stops (six solo) at Texas Tech … added nine tackles at North Carolina … racked up eight tackles (seven solo) and two PBUs in UT’s shutout victory at Tulane … registered six tackles and helped UT limit Houston to just 152 total yards of offense … recorded five tackles, including one for loss, and an interception against Texas A&M … registered four stops and a pair of PBUs as UT limited Baylor to 127 total yards of offense.

Freshman (2001)
Saw action in all 13 games, including the Holiday Bowl, at weakside linebacker … started the Oklahoma and Texas Tech games … The Sporting News’ National Freshman of the Year … earned first-team Freshman All-America honors from The Sporting News and Football Writers Association of America … named the Big 12 co-Defensive Freshman of the Year … a second-team all-conference and Defensive Newcomer of the Year selection by the Houston Chronicle … earned UT’s Outstanding Defensive Newcomer Award … also saw action on special teams, posting seven stops (five solos) … ranked second on the team with 83 tackles (57 solo), third with 13 TFLs (-47 yards) and fourth with 4.5 sacks … those marks ranked eighth, fourth and fourth, respectively, on UT’s freshman lists … his TFLs and sack totals rank first all-time among UT freshman linebackers … also recorded nine QB pressures, two fumble recoveries, a forced fumble, three PBUs and posted two 10-tackle games … led the team in tackles in four games … led all Big 12 freshmen in tackles (83) and sacks (4.5) and ranked second in TFLs (13) … ranked second nationally among all true freshmen defenders in TFLs and sacks and fourth in tackles … a key contributor on a UT defense that led the nation in total defense (236.2 ypg) and ranked third in passing (146.7 ypg) and scoring defense (13.7 ppg), fourth in pass efficiency defense (88.0 rtg) and sixth in rushing defense (89.5 ypg) … the Longhorns were one of only two defenses that ranked among the NCAA’s top 10 in all five statistical categories (Virginia Tech was the other) … named the Defensive MVP of the Holiday Bowl vs. No. 21 Washington after recording nine tackles, a sack and an interception that led to UT’s first go-ahead TD in the fourth quarter … earned his first career start against Texas Tech and posted a season-high 13 tackles, a sack and two TFLs … shared UT’s Frank Denius Special Teams Player of the Week after posting one solo tackle and forcing a fumble that led to a TD in that game … had a team-high 10 tackles, a career-high two sacks and three TFLs and one pass breakup against North Carolina … posted nine tackles, two TFLs and a career-best six QB pressures at Baylor … started his second career game and registered a team-high eight tackles against No. 3 Oklahoma … had eight tackles, one sack, two TFLs and a fumble recovery against Kansas … the Longhorns shut out the Jayhawks and held them to just 67 total yards (UT’s best performance since 1988) … recorded eight tackles (four solo) and one TFL at Houston.

	Derrick Johnson (Photo courtesy of Rod Aydelotte, Waco Tribune-Herald)

University of Texas linebacker Derrick Johnson was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs with the 15th pick of the first round of Saturday¹s NFL Draft. Johnson becomes just the second UT linebacker in history selected in the first round. The only previous one was Tommy Nobis, who was the first overall selection in the 1966 draft.

Johnson becomes the first Longhorn to be drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs since DT Ken Hackemack in the fifth round in 1990. He goes to the Chiefs, where former UT Co-Defensive Coordinator Greg Robinson coached with current head coach Dick Vermeil as defensive coordinator.

"I think (Derrick) liked playing in Greg's defensive scheme and how they taught him fundamentally to play," Vermeil said. "They changed their scheme and techniques and how he played within that scheme and he played well. We had determined even as early as yesterday morning that if Derrick Johnson or Thomas Davis was sitting there, we'd take that player when it became our No. 15 pick. It ended up being Derrick Johnson, a guy with tremendous athletic talent and range and potential."

"He was the first linebacker taken," head coach Mack Brown said of Johnson's selection. "When people look at linebackers, he was the best in the country. Detroit is where most people thought he would go, but they decided to go with offense instead of defense at that time. I would think probably the best evaluator for Derrick Johnson last year was Greg Robinson. Dick Vermeil probably talked to him and Greg said, 'You better grab him if you get a chance to.' For Cedric and Derrick to be two of the Top 15 players in the country is a great compliment to them, our coaches and their evaluation, and The University of Texas."

Johnson joins RB Cedric Benson, who was taken with the fourth overall pick by the Chicago Bears, as a first-round selection, marking the fourth time in five years and eighth time overall that UT has had two players selected in the first round of a draft.

With both players going in the first round, it is just the second time in Longhorns history the program has had a pair of first-round picks in consecutive years. OT Leonard and DT Casey Hampton were first-rounders in 2001 and were followed by CB Quentin Jammer and OT Mike Williams in 2002. In 2004, WR Roy Williams and DT Marcus Tubbs were selected in the first round prior to Benson and Johnson this year. Johnson becomes the 13th player coached by Mack Brown to be drafted in the first round in the last eight years.

Johnson is a two-time consensus first-team All-American, three-time first-team All-Big 12 pick and the 2004 Butkus Award winner (nation¹s top LB), Nagurski Award winner (nation¹s top defensive player) and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. He was the first UT linebacker since Nobis in 1964-65 to earn first-team All-America honors twice and the first ever to be a two-time consensus first-team All-American. Johnson finished his career with a school record 65 tackles for loss, 458 tackles (No. 3 on the UT all-time list), 10 forced fumbles (No. 5 on the UT all-time chart) and a UT record for LBs nine interceptions. He registered 130 tackles, 19 TFLs, 10 QB pressures and a UT and NCAA single-season record nine forced fumbles in 2004.