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Damone Johnson
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Damone Johnson (born March 2, 1962) is an American former professional football player who was a tight end for seven seasons with the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Cal Poly Mustangs.
Key Information
Early life
[edit]Johnson graduated from Santa Monica High School and played collegiately at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, where he played four seasons and finished with 109 receptions for 1,632 yards and 10 touchdowns.
He earned All-Western Football Conference selection in 1983.[1] After his Cal Poly career in 1984, Johnson ranked second in school history for both receptions and receiving yards.[2]
Professional career
[edit]After being selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the sixth round of the 1985 NFL draft,[3] Johnson spent his rookie season on injured reserve due to a knee injury suffered in training camp. In 1986, a shoulder injury kept him sidelined for most of the season before he was activated from injured reserve and played in the team's final five games, though he did not catch a pass.
Johnson's first significant playing time came when he caught six passes for 69 yards (ultimately both single-game career highs) in the Rams' 30–17 loss to the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night Football. Playing in 12 games and starting in five, Johnson became the Rams' leading pass catcher among tight ends with 21 receptions for 198 yards and two touchdowns.[4]
Becoming a full-time starter at tight end, Johnson's best season came in 1988, when he caught 42 passes for 350 yards and scored six touchdowns,[5] all single-season highs for his career. In the final game of the regular season that year, Johnson caught four passes for 42 yards and a career-high three touchdowns in a 38–16 win over the eventual Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers. Johnson played four more seasons with the Rams, and at the end of his career, he held the record for most touchdown receptions by a tight end in team history.
References
[edit]- ^ Steers, Dennis (April 13, 1984). "Spring is in the air, and so are the footballs". San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune. pp. B2.
- ^ "Rams pick Poly's Johnson in 6th round; Swanson in 9th". San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune. May 1, 1985. pp. 1B.
- ^ "1985 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
- ^ Dufresne, Chris (November 13, 1987). "Rams : Damone Johnson Is Finally Catching On". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
- ^ LA Rams 2022 Media Guide. Los Angeles Rams. 2022. p. 294.
Damone Johnson
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Early life and education
Birth and early years
Damone Johnson was born on March 2, 1962, in Los Angeles, California. [1] [4] He later attended Santa Monica High School in the Los Angeles area, where he began playing football. [1]High school football
Damone Johnson attended Santa Monica High School in Santa Monica, California, where he played football. [1] [5] He began his playing career at the school as a wide receiver, described in a later profile as a "string-bean wide receiver" before his physical development in subsequent years. [6] Johnson drew significant inspiration from his cousin Anslie Washington, a star defensive back at Santa Monica High School who was the player he most aspired to emulate. [6]College career
Cal Poly Mustangs
Damone Johnson played four seasons as a tight end for the Cal Poly Mustangs from 1981 to 1985.[3] During his collegiate career, he amassed 109 receptions for 1,632 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.[3] He earned Western Football Conference first-team honors twice during his time with the program.[3] Johnson is No. 9 in career receptions and No. 10 in career receiving yards in Cal Poly program history as recognized by the Cal Poly Athletics Hall of Fame.[3] His standout performance at Cal Poly led to his selection in the sixth round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams.[3]Professional football career
NFL draft and early seasons
Johnson was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the sixth round (162nd overall) of the 1985 NFL Draft. [1] His rookie season was cut short by a knee injury suffered during training camp, resulting in his placement on injured reserve and zero games played. [6] In 1986, Johnson again spent significant time on injured reserve—11 weeks—due to injury before being activated late in the season, appearing in five games with no receptions while contributing primarily in blocking assignments. [6] [1] These injury setbacks and limited opportunities characterized his initial professional seasons as he worked to establish himself in the Rams' tight end rotation. [6]Peak performance and starting role
Johnson's peak performance as a professional came in the late 1980s, when he emerged as the Los Angeles Rams' primary tight end and delivered his most productive seasons from 1987 to 1989. [1] [7] In 1987, he appeared in 12 games with 5 starts, catching 21 passes for 198 yards and 2 touchdowns, marking his first substantial contribution after limited early playing time. [1] [7] He ascended to a full-time starting role in 1988, starting 15 of 16 games and posting career highs with 42 receptions for 350 yards and 6 touchdowns. [1] [7] A highlight of that season was his three-touchdown performance against the San Francisco 49ers on December 18, 1988, when he caught 4 passes for 42 yards and all three scores in a 38-16 Rams victory that clinched a playoff berth. [8] [9] Johnson maintained his starting position in 1989, appearing in all 16 games with 16 starts while recording 25 receptions for 148 yards and 5 touchdowns. [1] [7] His consistent production as a starter during this period established him as a key contributor to the Rams' offense. [1]Later seasons and retirement
In his later seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, Damone Johnson's role and production gradually diminished. In 1990, he appeared in 13 games with 9 starts, catching 12 passes for 66 yards and 3 touchdowns. [1] [7] His involvement remained significant the following year, as he played all 16 games and started every contest in 1991, recording 32 receptions for 253 yards and 2 touchdowns. [1] [7] Johnson's final NFL season came in 1992, when he played in only 4 games without recording a start or any receptions. [1] [7] He retired following that campaign, ending a seven-year professional career spent exclusively with the Los Angeles Rams from 1986 to 1992. [1]Career statistics
Regular season receiving stats
Damone Johnson recorded his regular season receiving statistics exclusively during his seven-year career with the Los Angeles Rams from 1986 to 1992.[1] He appeared in 82 regular season games and started 61.[1] Over that span, Johnson caught 132 passes for 1,015 yards and 18 touchdowns, with a career average of 7.7 yards per reception, a catch percentage of 64.7%, and a longest reception of 27 yards.[1] He was targeted 204 times across his career.[1] Johnson's most productive seasons came in 1988, when he caught 42 passes for 350 yards and 6 touchdowns, and in 1991, when he recorded 32 receptions for 253 yards and 2 touchdowns.[1] He had no receptions in his limited appearances during the 1986 (5 games) and 1992 (4 games) seasons.[1] His regular season receiving statistics by year are as follows:| Season | Team | G | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Lng | Ctch% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | RAM | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | — | — |
| 1987 | RAM | 12 | 5 | 21 | 198 | 9.4 | 2 | 20 | 48.8 |
| 1988 | RAM | 16 | 15 | 42 | 350 | 8.3 | 6 | 23 | 79.2 |
| 1989 | RAM | 16 | 16 | 25 | 148 | 5.9 | 5 | 22 | 56.8 |
| 1990 | RAM | 13 | 9 | 12 | 66 | 5.5 | 3 | 11 | 66.7 |
| 1991 | RAM | 16 | 16 | 32 | 253 | 7.9 | 2 | 27 | 72.7 |
| 1992 | RAM | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | — | 0.0 |
| Career | 82 | 61 | 132 | 1015 | 7.7 | 18 | 27 | 64.7 |