Early years

Johnson attended Garden City High School before moving on to the University of Kansas, where he was a part of the same offensive backfield as Gayle Sayers. Injuries affected his production in college, including as a senior, when he was going to be the featured running back.

Professional career

Johnson was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the 1966 American Football League Draft, but instead of playing for the Raiders, he chose to sign with the NFL's Dallas Cowboys as a free agent in 1966. He was converted to a defensive back, based on how the Cowboys saw him tackle on special teams in college. As a rookie, besides playing special teams, he was also used as a linebacker, when the other teams employed their two-minute offense.

In 1967, he passed Warren Livingston on the depth chart for the right cornerback starting position and finished with 5 interceptions. In 1969, he lost his starting job to Phil Clark.

On August 3, 1970, he was traded to the Chicago Bears in exchange for a draft choice.

[ Source: Wikipedia ]