No. 59 | |||||
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Position: | Center | ||||
Personal information | |||||
Born: | Highland, Maryland, U.S. | November 26, 1962||||
Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||
Weight: | 275 lb (125 kg) | ||||
Career information | |||||
High school: | Glenelg (Glenelg, Maryland) | ||||
College: | North Carolina (1981–1984) | ||||
NFL draft: | 1985 / round: 3 / pick: 73 | ||||
Career history | |||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||
Career NFL statistics | |||||
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Joseph Brian Johnston (born November 26, 1962) is an American former professional football player who was a center for two seasons with the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Giants in the third round of the 1985 NFL draft after playing college football at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was a member of the Giants team that won Super Bowl XXI.
Joseph Brian Johnston was born on November 26, 1962, in Highland, Maryland. [1] He attended Glenelg High School in Glenelg, Maryland. [1]
Johnston was a four-year letterman for the North Carolina Tar Heels of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 1981 to 1984. [1] He joined the Tar Heels as a defensive lineman but ended up spending his first two seasons as a backup center. [2] He then moved to defensive tackle as a junior before switching back to center partway through his senior year. [2]
Johnston was selected by the New York Giants in the third round, with the 73rd overall pick, of the 1985 NFL draft. [3] He officially signed with the team on July 15. [4] He was placed on injured reserve on August 14, 1985, and spent the entire season there. [4] He was released by the Giants the next year on August 26, 1986, but soon re-signed on September 2. [4] He played in four regular season games for the Giants during the 1985 season. [3] Johnston also appeared in two playoff games that season, including the victory over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXI. [5] He played in five games in 1987 and became a free agent after the season. [4] [3]
Julius Frazier Peppers is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end and linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels, where he was recognized as a unanimous All-American, and was selected by the Carolina Panthers second overall in the 2002 NFL draft, and also played for the Chicago Bears from 2010 through 2013 and the Green Bay Packers from 2014 to 2016. After rejoining the Panthers for the 2017 season, he retired after the 2018 NFL season.
Natrone Jermaine Means is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Diego Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Carolina Panthers from 1993 to 2000.
Donald André Bly is an American football coach and former player who is a defensive analyst coach for Charlotte. He played as a cornerback for 11 seasons in the NFL. He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels, earning All-American honors twice. Bly was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the second round of the 1999 NFL draft, and spent four seasons with the Rams, earning a Super Bowl ring with them in Super Bowl XXXIV over the Tennessee Titans. He was selected to two Pro Bowls during his four-year tenure with the Detroit Lions, and also played for the Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers.
William Mack Brown is an American former college football coach. Brown most recently coached at the University of North Carolina, where he had two stints, first from 1988 until 1997, and again from 2019 until his firing at the end of the 2024 season. During his second stint in Chapel Hill, Brown became the North Carolina Tar Heels football program's all-time winningest coach, passing Dick Crum for most wins in program history.
Jeffrey Bryant Saturday is an American former professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). He played as a center in the NFL, primarily with the Indianapolis Colts. He was a six-time Pro Bowl selection, and won a Super Bowl with the Colts. Saturday is often regarded as one of the greatest centers in NFL history
Russell Morgan Davis is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels. The Chicago Bears selected Davis in the second round and 49th overall in the 1999 NFL draft, and he played the 1999 season for the Bears. Davis then played for the Arizona Cardinals from 2000 to 2005, the Seattle Seahawks in 2006, and the New York Giants in 2007 and won the Super Bowl XLII title with the Giants that year.
Brian Eugene Simmons is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of North Carolina, and earned All-American honors. He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals 17th overall in the 1998 NFL draft, and he played professionally for the Bengals and New Orleans Saints of the NFL.
Richard Blair Modzelewski was an American professional football defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins, Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants, and Cleveland Browns. He also served as interim head coach of the Browns in the final game of the 1977 season. Modzelewski was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1993.
Christian G. Hanburger Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played his entire 14-year career with the Washington Redskins, from 1965 through 1978, and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.
Marvin Austin Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a nose tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels and was selected by the New York Giants in the second round of the 2011 NFL draft. Austin also played for the Miami Dolphins, Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos.
Riddick Thurston Parker Jr. was an American professional football player who was a defensive lineman for seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots, and Baltimore Ravens from 1997 to 2003. Parker played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels.
The 1980 North Carolina Tar Heels football team was an American football team that represented the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) during the 1980 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their third year under head coach Dick Crum, the Tar Heels compiled an 11–1 record, kept six opponents from scoring a touchdown, and outscored all opponents by a total of 281 to 123. They won the ACC championship, were ranked No. 10 in the final AP poll, and defeated Texas in the Astro–Bluebonnet Bowl. The 11 wins tied a program record set during the 1972 season.
The 1997 North Carolina Tar Heels football team represented the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill during the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Tar Heels played their home games at Kenan Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and competed in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The team was coached by Mack Brown and finished the season 11–1 overall, 7–1 in the conference.
Robert Quinn is an American former professional football defensive end. He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels, and was selected by the St. Louis Rams with the 14th pick in the first round of the 2011 NFL draft.
Sylvester Williams Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Broncos in the first round of the 2013 NFL draft. He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels, where he earned All-American honors.
The 2015 North Carolina Tar Heels football team represented the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a member of Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) during the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was led by fourth-year head coach Larry Fedora and played their home games at Kenan Memorial Stadium. North Carolina finished the season 11–3 overall and 8–0 in ACC play to win the ACC Coastal Division title. They represented the Coastal Division in the ACC Championship Game, where they lost to Atlantic Division champion Clemson. They were invited to the Russell Athletic Bowl, where they lost to Baylor.
The 1946 North Carolina Tar Heels football team was an American football team that represented the University of North Carolina in the Southern Conference during the 1946 college football season. In their fourth year under head coach Carl Snavely, the Tar Heels compiled an 8–2–1 record, won the conference title, and outscored opponents by a total of 271 to 129. They ranked ninth in the final AP Poll and were invited to the school's first bowl game, the 1947 Sugar Bowl, which they lost to Georgia.
Chazz Surratt is an American professional football linebacker for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at North Carolina, where he began his career as a quarterback, and was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft.
The 2023 North Carolina Tar Heels football team represented the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Tar Heels were led by head coach Mack Brown, who was in the fifth season of his second stint at North Carolina and 15th overall season at the university. The team played their home games at Kenan Memorial Stadium. The North Carolina Tar Heels football team drew an average home attendance of 50,095 in 2023.