Jeremi Johnson
Encyclopedia
Jeremi Ray Johnson is currently a free agent American football
fullback
in the National Football League
. He was drafted by the Bengals in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Western Kentucky.
, rushing for over 2,000 yards and scoring 35 touchdowns in his junior and senior seasons.
, where he was named to the All-Big Ten Conference
freshman
team in 1999.) However, in 2002, Johnson suffered a hamstring
injury in spring practice and, according to reports, Johnson believed it was just a minor injury and did not believe an MRI test
was necessary. Head coach Gerry DiNardo
believed otherwise, and Johnson's scholarship was rescinded.
A subsequent application for entry into the supplemental NFL draft
was unsuccessful because Johnson did not meet its hardship requirements.
for his senior season, where he was a key player on the Hilltoppers' NCAA
Division 1-AA championship team. On the gridiron, Johnson earned the nickname "The Big Red Bus" from the local media in Bowling Green
.
He was a Recreation sport management major at Western Kentucky University
.
in the fourth round (118th overall) of the 2003 NFL Draft
. He was released with an injury settlement on November 26, 2008.
The Bengals re-signed Johnson on April 24, 2009.
Johnson is now a free agent.
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...
fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
in 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 Bengals in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft
2003 NFL Draft
The 2003 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft was held April 26–27, 2003 at the Theatre at...
. 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 Western Kentucky.
Early years
Johnson was a standout for Ballard High SchoolBallard High School (Louisville)
Ballard High School is a senior high school in the eastern suburbs of Louisville, Kentucky. The school opened in the fall of 1968. The first students were in grades 7-9, and a grade was added each year as the building was expanded. This kept the school system from having to transfer upper class...
, rushing for over 2,000 yards and scoring 35 touchdowns in his junior and senior seasons.
Indiana
As a collegiate player, Jeremi Johnson played his first three seasons at Indiana UniversityIndiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington is a public research university located in Bloomington, Indiana, in the United States. IU Bloomington is the flagship campus of the Indiana University system. Being the flagship campus, IU Bloomington is often referred to simply as IU or Indiana...
, where he was named to the All-Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
freshman
Freshman
A freshman or fresher is a first-year student in secondary school, high school, or college. The term first year can also be used as a noun, to describe the students themselves A freshman (US) or fresher (UK, India) (or sometimes fish, freshie, fresher; slang plural frosh or freshmeat) is a...
team in 1999.) However, in 2002, Johnson suffered a hamstring
Hamstring
In human anatomy, the hamstring refers to any one of the three posterior thigh muscles, or to the tendons that make up the borders of the space behind the knee. In modern anatomical contexts, however, they usually refer to the posterior thigh muscles, or the tendons of the semitendinosus, the...
injury in spring practice and, according to reports, Johnson believed it was just a minor injury and did not believe an MRI test
Magnetic resonance imaging
Magnetic resonance imaging , nuclear magnetic resonance imaging , or magnetic resonance tomography is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to visualize detailed internal structures...
was necessary. Head coach Gerry DiNardo
Gerry DiNardo
Gerard DiNardo is a former American football player and coach. He played college football as a guard for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish where he was selected as an All-American in 1974...
believed otherwise, and Johnson's scholarship was rescinded.
A subsequent application for entry into the supplemental NFL draft
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
was unsuccessful because Johnson did not meet its hardship requirements.
Western Kentucky
Jeremi Johnson transferred to Western Kentucky UniversityWestern Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier....
for his senior season, where he was a key player on the Hilltoppers' NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division 1-AA championship team. On the gridiron, Johnson earned the nickname "The Big Red Bus" from the local media in Bowling Green
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green is the third-most populous city in the state of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, with a population of 58,067 as of the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Warren County and the principal city of the Bowling Green, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area with an estimated 2009...
.
He was a Recreation sport management major at Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier....
.
Cincinnati Bengals
Johnson was selected by the Cincinnati BengalsCincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
in the fourth round (118th overall) of the 2003 NFL Draft
2003 NFL Draft
The 2003 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft was held April 26–27, 2003 at the Theatre at...
. He was released with an injury settlement on November 26, 2008.
The Bengals re-signed Johnson on April 24, 2009.
Johnson is now a free agent.