Jaymar Johnson
Encyclopedia
Jaymar Johnson is an American football
wide receiver
for the Arizona Cardinals
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings
in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Jackson State
.
. As a kid, he won seven Pop Warner
trophies and his nickname was "Double-J".
As a senior in high school he was named All-State, All-Area and All-Conference.
of a gun battle about 100 yards from his location.
A few years later during a pickup basketball game, Johnson fled with his cousins and later discovered his t-shirt
had been grazed by a bullet.
and debuted for the Tigers against Alabama State and future teammate Tarvaris Jackson
. As a junior he had a career high 199 receiving yards against Southern
. During his last three seasons at Jackson State, Johnson started in every game. He majored in health education
at Jackson State.
in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft
. He became the first Jackson State
player to be drafted since Sylvester Morris
in the 2000 NFL Draft
. He was cut late during training camp but was re-signed to the practice squad on September 1, 2008. He spent most of the year on the practice squad. According to Vikings head coach
Brad Childress
, during the 2009 offseason, Johnson put on 17 pounds getting up to 187 and is currently the hardest worker on the team.
During the 2010 preseason, Johnson was placed on the Injured Reserve list, having broken his left thumb in the Week 1 preseason game against the St. Louis Rams
. The injury allowed the Vikings to re-register returning quarterback Brett Favre
to their 53-man roster.
On September 2, 2011, he was waived by Minnesota.
signed him to their practice squad on September 20. He was promoted to the active roster on November 29.
at Arkansas-Pine Bluff
. He is the youngest of eight children and enjoys playing the saxophone
and planned on joining the medical field following his college career. His wife (Kassy Johnson) is a special needs teacher at Eden Prairie High School
in Minneapolis, Minnesota
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
for the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Jackson State
Jackson State Tigers
The Jackson State Tigers represent Jackson State University in NCAA intercollegiate athletics.-Conference affiliation:Jackson State University's athletic teams participate in the Southwestern Athletic Conference which is a part of the NCAA Division I. Football participates in the Football...
.
Early years
Johnson was born on July 10, 1984 in Gary, IndianaGary, Indiana
Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city is in the southeastern portion of the Chicago metropolitan area and is 25 miles from downtown Chicago. The population is 80,294 at the 2010 census, making it the seventh-largest city in the state. It borders Lake Michigan and is known...
. As a kid, he won seven Pop Warner
Pop Warner Little Scholars
Pop Warner Little Scholars is a non-profit organization that provides youth football, cheerleading, and dance programs for participants in 43 U.S. states and several countries around the world. It is headquartered in Langhorne, Pennsylvania...
trophies and his nickname was "Double-J".
As a senior in high school he was named All-State, All-Area and All-Conference.
Shootings
As a teenager, Johnson left his aunt's home in Gary with his nephew (William M. Fields Jr.) and was caught in the crossfireCrossfire
A crossfire is a military term for the siting of weapons so that their arcs of fire overlap. This tactic came to prominence in World War I....
of a gun battle about 100 yards from his location.
A few years later during a pickup basketball game, Johnson fled with his cousins and later discovered his t-shirt
T-shirt
A T-shirt is a style of shirt. A T-shirt is buttonless and collarless, with short sleeves and frequently a round neck line....
had been grazed by a bullet.
College career
Johnson attended Jackson State UniversityJackson State University
Jackson State University is a historically black university founded in 1877 in Natchez, MS by the American Baptist Home Mission Society of New York. The Society moved the school to Jackson in 1882, renaming it Jackson College, and developed its present campus in 1902. It became a state supported...
and debuted for the Tigers against Alabama State and future teammate Tarvaris Jackson
Tarvaris Jackson
Tarvaris DeAndre Jackson is an American football quarterback who is currently a member of the Seattle Seahawks. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
. As a junior he had a career high 199 receiving yards against Southern
Southern Jaguars
The Southern Jaguars represent Southern University in NCAA intercollegiate athletics.-Conference affiliation:Southern University's athletic teams participate in the Southwestern Athletic Conference which is a part of the NCAA Division I. Football participates in the Football Championship...
. During his last three seasons at Jackson State, Johnson started in every game. He majored in health education
Health education
Health education is the profession of educating people about health. Areas within this profession encompass environmental health, physical health, social health, emotional health, intellectual health, and spiritual health...
at Jackson State.
Minnesota Vikings
Johnson was drafted by the Minnesota VikingsMinnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
. He became the first Jackson State
Jackson State Tigers
The Jackson State Tigers represent Jackson State University in NCAA intercollegiate athletics.-Conference affiliation:Jackson State University's athletic teams participate in the Southwestern Athletic Conference which is a part of the NCAA Division I. Football participates in the Football...
player to be drafted since Sylvester Morris
Sylvester Morris
Sylvester Morris is a former professional American football wide receiver who played for the Kansas City Chiefs during the 2000 season. Morris was selected by the Chiefs in the first round of the 2000 NFL Draft...
in the 2000 NFL Draft
2000 NFL Draft
The 2000 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur U.S. college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 15–16, 2000...
. He was cut late during training camp but was re-signed to the practice squad on September 1, 2008. He spent most of the year on the practice squad. According to Vikings head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
Brad Childress
Brad Childress
Brad "Chilly" Childress is the former head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. He attended high school at the Marmion Academy in Aurora, Illinois...
, during the 2009 offseason, Johnson put on 17 pounds getting up to 187 and is currently the hardest worker on the team.
During the 2010 preseason, Johnson was placed on the Injured Reserve list, having broken his left thumb in the Week 1 preseason game against the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
. The injury allowed the Vikings to re-register returning quarterback Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
to their 53-man roster.
On September 2, 2011, he was waived by Minnesota.
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona CardinalsArizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
signed him to their practice squad on September 20. He was promoted to the active roster on November 29.
Personal
His brother James played college footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Arkansas-Pine Bluff
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff is a historically black university located in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, United States. Founded in 1873, it is the oldest HBCU and the second oldest public institution in the state of Arkansas . UAPB is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund...
. He is the youngest of eight children and enjoys playing the saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
and planned on joining the medical field following his college career. His wife (Kassy Johnson) is a special needs teacher at Eden Prairie High School
Eden Prairie High School
Eden Prairie High School is a four-year public high school located in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. The present high school opened in 1981 and was significantly added to in 1990, 1994 and 1997. Eden Prairie High School has been graduating students for over seventy years. The school was named a Blue...
in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
.