Kerryon Johnson Biography

Kerryon Johnson, born on June 30, 1997, is an American former professional football player who played as a running back and is now the running backs coach at East Tennessee State University. Kerryon Johnson played collegiate football at Auburn before being drafted by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 2018 NFL draft. As a freshman in 2015, Johnson had fewer than 10 rushes in any game and never gained 40 rushing yards in a single game, though he recorded 161 all-purpose yards against Kentucky. As a junior in 2017, Johnson became the primary rusher for the Auburn Tigers, carrying the ball nearly three times as often as any other team member. Kerryon Johnson rushed for 44 yards in the SEC Championship game as the #2 Tigers lost 28–7 to Georgia. On January 2, 2018, Johnson announced he would leave Auburn after his junior season to enter the 2018 NFL draft. In a Week 3 Sunday Night Football game, Johnson rushed for 101 yards in a 26–10 victory over the New England Patriots, becoming the first Lions running back since 2013 to gain over 100 rushing yards in a game.