| No. 81 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Wide receiver Kick returner | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | February 11, 1979 Dallas, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 200 lb (91 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Corsicana (TX) | ||||||||||
| College: | Texas A&M | ||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2003 / Round: 2 / Pick: 45 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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| Player stats at NFL.com | |||||||||||
Bethel Johnson (born February 11, 1979) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football for Texas A&M Aggies.
Johnson earned two Super Bowl rings with the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVIII and Super Bowl XXXIX. He has also been a member of the New Orleans Saints, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles, Houston Texans and Toronto Argonauts.
Johnson attended Corsicana High School in Corsicana, Texas and as a senior, he led his team to the Class 4A state title game, and made 44 receptions for 1495 yards and 17 receiving touchdowns.
Johnson attended Texas A&M University, and finished his college football career with 117 receptions for 1740 yards (14.9 yards per reception), and 11 receiving touchdowns. His 117 receptions and 1740 receiving yards both rank second in school career records.[1][2]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | Vertical jump | Broad jump | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
201 lb (91 kg) |
31+1⁄4 in (0.79 m) |
8+1⁄2 in (0.22 m) |
4.42 s | 1.55 s | 2.60 s | 38+1⁄2 in (0.98 m) |
10 ft 7 in (3.23 m) | ||||
| All values from NFL Combine.[3] | ||||||||||||
Johnson was drafted 45th overall in the 2003 NFL Draft.[4] In his rookie season, ranked second in the NFL with a 28.2 yards per kickoff return average, returning 30 kickoffs for 847 yards and a touchdown, while also catching 16 passes for 209 yards and 2 scores. In 2003 and 2004 he won the Super Bowl with the New England Patriots.
He was traded to the Saints on June 5, 2006 for defensive tackle Johnathan Sullivan, who was drafted sixth overall by the Saints in 2003. Saints coach, Sean Payton, questioned Johnson's "conditioning, his stamina and endurance" during the preseason.[5]
Johnson was cut from the Saints before the 2006 regular season began after injuring his knee in a preseason game.
Johnson was then signed by the Minnesota Vikings on October 10, 2006.[6] He appeared in 11 games with two starts for the Vikings that season, catching nine passes for 156 yards. He became a free agent in the 2007 offseason.
On March 8, 2007, he signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles. He was released on June 5, after he failed a physical.[7]
On July 9, 2007, Johnson signed with the Houston Texans. However, he was released on August 31, during final cuts and spent the rest of the season out of football.
On May 26, 2008, Johnson was signed by the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League.[8][9] He was released on September 30, due to his lack of progress; ranking just seventh on the team in receiving with 16 catches for 189 yards and no touchdowns.[10]