In order for Johnson to be in the position he is in now, he had to overcome several challenges.
Johnson transferred to Georgia, where he hoped to pave a path to the NFL, but his playing time was unsatisfactory, so he transferred again, this time to Florida State, where he became a quarterback assassin this past season with 70 tackles (17.5 for a loss) and 11.5 sacks.
Johnson also had an interception during the game against Florida State.
Jermaine Curtis Johnson II, a defensive end with the New York Jets of the National Football League, was born on January 7, 1999.
Prior to going to Florida State in 2021, where he was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, he played collegiate football at Georgia and Independence CC. The New York Jets selected Johnson with the 26th overall choice in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Johnson enrolled at Independence Community College to start his college career. He played for head coach Jason Brown at Independence and was profiled in the Netflix docuseries Last Chance U’s fourth season while there.
He recorded 58 tackles, eight sacks, and three forced fumbles as a freshman. After the season, Johnson switched to the University of Georgia.
Johnson earned 20 tackles and 2.5 sacks while a sophomore for the Georgia Bulldogs, appearing in every game. He had four sacks, 16 total tackles, and 11 quarterback hurries as a senior, good for third place on the team.
As the season came to a close, Johnson enrolled at Florida State for his final season of NCAA eligibility through the transfer portal.
Johnson was selected the Atlantic Coast Conference Defensive Lineman of the Week for his performance in the Seminoles’ 41-38 overtime loss against Notre Dame, which included seven tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks.
After finishing the season with 70 tackles and leading the ACC with 18 tackles for loss and 12 sacks, he was awarded the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and first-team All-ACC.