Bio

Tom Johnson

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (2002-2004) / Football
Moss Point, Mississippi

Tom Johnson came to Gulf Coast after finishing at Moss Point High School. He turned that decision into a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-American career at MGCCC, a scholarship at The University of Southern Mississippi and an eight-year National Football League (NFL) career. 

As a freshman in 2002, he forced four fumbles in nine games, which tied him for second in the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC). He was named to the All-MACJC team that season.  

The two-year starter at defensive tackle finished his Gulf Coast career with 50 tackles and was an All-NJCAA Region 23 and an All-MACJC selection as a sophomore. He had five tackles for loss and four sacks in 2003 when he earned NJCAA All-American Second Team honors. 

He signed to continue his collegiate career at Southern Miss. He played in eight games as a junior but blossomed in 2005. He started 11 of 12 games, recording 54 tackles with 12 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, two pass deflections and a fumble recovery. His three sacks against Central Florida in 2005 remain tied for fifth-most in a single game in school history. 

After stints in NFL Europa, Arena Football League, and Canadian Football League, Johnson played for the New Orleans Saints for three seasons, where he played 40 games. His second year was his most productive there, with 28 tackles and two sacks. 

Johnson played the next four full seasons with the Minneapolis Vikings, and he started 15 of 16 games in 2017. He logged 32 tackles and two sacks that year. The following year he split time with the Vikings and Seattle Seahawks and had 4.5 sacks in 14 games.