Johnson was a 1994 first-round pick out of Colorado by the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he played for five seasons. He played two seasons in Philadelphia before joining the Patriots in 2001, the same year Tom Brady became the starting quarterback and led the Patriots to a Super Bowl win.
He finished his career in Buffalo in 2002, with a career-total of 354 receptions, 4,606 yards, and 24 touchdown downs across 133 games, Fox News reported.
Johnson didn't stray from football once his playing days ended. He was serving as the assistant athletic director at Heritage High School in Wake Forest, N.C., at the time of his death, according to NBC-17.
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