Copied from a thread I started about Johnson back before Rhule was fired...
Born in Charleston, South Carolina, Johnson attended high school in Asheville, North Carolina. Upon graduating, he became a walk on quarterback for the UNC Tarheels behind both TJ Yates and current Panthers receiver coach Joe Dailey. Yates would later play for the Miami Dolphins, along with former Panther QB Matt Moore, when Johnson was an assistant there. Also while at UNC, Johnson was a teammate to Hakeem Nicks, Brandon Tate, Cameron Thomas, former (temporary) Panther Hilee Taylor and Connor Barth among others.
Looking at his college coaches, quarterback coach John Shoop had previously served on the offensive staff of the Panthers from their inaugural season through 1998. Retired former Colts coach - and Ron Rivera friend - Chuck Pagano was the Tarheels DC for one of his seasons there. Longtime NFL OL Coach (and also Rivera associate) Hal Hunter was on board for a bit as well. Hunter later coached in Cleveland alongside current Panthers ST coach Chris Tabor (Pep Hamilton was the OC at the time).
Mind you, Tabor’s not the only Panthers staffer with a connection of sorts to Johnson.
Others are, in fact a little more direct...
Let's start with original Panthers head coach Dom Capers who was a defensive assistant last season in Detroit. Among current Panther staffers besides the aforementioned Dailey, quarterback coach Sean Ryan and DL coach Paul Pasqualoni each spent time on the Lions staff with him.
Johnson even has a shirttail connection with Panthers assistant GM Dan Morgan via former Morgan colleague Joe Schoen who was in the Dolphins personnel department (as was former Panthers college scouting director Eric Stokes) for a few seasons while Johnson and now Lions head coach Dan Campbell were on the coaching staff. Said staff also included current RB coach Jeff Nixon and former Panthers player Mike Wahle.
For what some might find the most "fun" connection though, you’ve gotta go back to Johnson’s very first coaching gig..
From 2009 to 2011, Johnson was a graduate assistant and later tight ends coach for a college football program in the Northeastern US.
Specifically, Boston College.
Those three years just happened to coincide with the college career of a certain former Panther who’s best known for playing linebacker.
Yeah…that guy.