A native of Williamston, North Carolina, Johnson has been the defensive line coach at Penn State since 2000. From 1996-1999 he served as the Nittany Lions' defensive ends and special teams coach. In that time, Johnson has become a national power in recruiting, consistently landing top talent from the mid-Atlantic states. He has been instrumental in the development of five first-team All-Americans: Devon Still, first-round NFL draft choices Tamba Hali, Michael Haynes, and Jimmy Kennedy, and former #1 overall selection Courtney Brown.