Damone Johnson

Last updated

Damone Johnson
No. 86
Position: Tight end
Personal information
Born: (1962-03-02) March 2, 1962 (age 62)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Height:6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:230 lb (104 kg)
Career information
High school: Santa Monica
(Santa Monica, California)
College: Cal Poly
NFL draft: 1985  / round: 6 / pick: 162
Career history
Career NFL statistics
Receptions:132
Receiving yards:1,015
Touchdowns:18
Player stats at PFR

Damone Johnson (born March 2, 1962) is a former professional American football tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He played seven seasons for the Los Angeles Rams.

Contents

Early life

Johnson graduated from Santa Monica High School and played collegiately at Cal Poly 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

After being drafted 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.

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References

  1. Steers, Dennis (April 13, 1984). "Spring is in the air, and so are the footballs". San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune. pp. B2.
  2. "Rams pick Poly's Johnson in 6th round; Swanson in 9th". San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune. May 1, 1985. pp. 1B.
  3. "1985 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  4. Dufresne, Chris (November 13, 1987). "Rams : Damone Johnson Is Finally Catching On". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  5. LA Rams 2022 Media Guide. Los Angeles Rams. 2022. p. 294.