When Darrien "D.J." Johnson came out of Iowa with 20 starts, 102 tackles, three interceptions, 25 pass defenses, and wasn't chosen during the 2002 NFL Draft, he weighed his options.
If the cornerback wanted to pursue a career in pro football, it would have to be as a free agent. But on which side of the northern border?
"It was one of those things where my agent and I both thought I was going to go late-round or as a free agent," Johnson said. "And so my choices were to wait around for an NFL team to call or go play (in the Canadian Football League) right now. I had a lot of love and zest for the game, so I wanted to play now because I figured if I sat around, I wouldn't get any better.
"I felt like I would put myself in a better position to go to Canada, and if an NFL team saw me during my season, they could always offer me a workout."
Signing with the Montreal Alouettes, as a rookie, Johnson was a starter in the 2003 Grey Cup, the CFL's equivalent of the Super Bowl. He was with them again the following season.
But then two years and change after putting the NFL on a hope-to-do list, an unexpected phone call moved that a to-do-now list.
"It was actually right after my Canadian football season. I was at my parents' home (in Illinois) and a recruiter from the Jets calls," Johnson said. "I thought it was one of my buddies messing around with me. He was like, 'Yeah, we want you to come for a workout this weekend. We'll fly you out.' So I was like, 'Yeah, okay.' But sure enough, he called back in like five minutes with the itinerary, and I was on the next flight the following day."
After arriving at the Jets' facility, Johnson found that more than a few other prospective players received calls, too. He'd also happily discover that it wouldn't have been a good idea to pack light for the trip.
"They were still in-season, and had several guys come to this tryout. There's couple guys from the Canadian Football League, a couple free agents, and we had a bunch of the coaches from the staff; (head coach) Herm (Edwards) was out there, position coaches, Mike Tannenbaum, the G.M. at the time, was out there," Johnson said.
"We did everything from agility drills to position-specific drills to running the 40. And I had a good feeling after I ran my 40 because I ran a 4.37. And when I crossed the line, all the coaches and scouts had got their (stop-watch) clocks, and Tannenbaum was like, 'Man, a 4.37! What the hell you doing in Canada? How come you're not playing over here?' And I said, 'I never had an opportunity. Nobody ever gave me a chance.' And they ended up signing me that day."
Finishing up New York's 2004 season on the roster but not active allowed Johnson, who had 21 CFL games under his belt, to learn about the exchange rate, if you will, and be better prepared to cash in on the NFL the following spring.
"It was some validation for me because I knew I could play at that level. It was just a matter of having an opportunity," Johnson said. "It's all about being in the right place at the right time. And health has a lot to do with it, too. And so for me, it was just perfect timing. I'm glad that I was able to get that opportunity at that specific time with that organization."
Johnson found the team's first OTA of the 2005 season both encouraging and discouraging when he was able to come up with a pair of interceptions, but also suffered a high ankle sprain.
"I was running around, making plays," Johnson said. "And the (defensive backs) coach, Corwin Brown, gave me some very good words of encouragement about my future with the Jets because he saw some special things out there.
"It was comforting to hear, but obviously getting hurt in the process, it's like, 'Alright, here we go again.' Because throughout my college career, I had some documented lower body injuries with my feet and ankles that required surgery. Fortunately, I was able to rehab and get back out there for the start of camp."
Johnson was there for the end of training camp, too. Starting at nickel during the preseason with Ray Mickens injured, a huge head-turning moment for the 5-foot-10, 185-pounder came when he sacked Minnesota's 6-foot-4, 260-pound quarterback Daunte Culpepper on a blitz during the Jets' 28-21 victory over the Vikings.
However, not taking anything for granted, Johnson didn't just assume he'd still be on the team during that period between when training camp was wrapping up and the season opened in Kansas City.
"I knew a little bit of the process of how it worked. If somebody comes knocking on your door, it's probably not a good sign. But nobody ever knocked on my door," he said. "And now it's Week 1 and I'm like, 'Nobody told me that I made the team officially, so I guess that I'll just go about my business and show up at the complex.' It was a surreal feeling, but there was no climactic moment that was like, 'Hey, you made the team' and balloons and confetti come out of the ceiling."
Playing as a backup cornerback and on special teams in eight games during the 2005 campaign, Johnson was credited with three tackles.
A self-proclaimed gym rat, Johnson got a glance of what would become his post-playing career – personal training – when he came out of college and worked with former NFL wide receiver Don Beebe at his House of Speed in the Chicago suburb of Aurora.
"We just hit it off. I would train with him at five o'clock in the morning, and then we would train athletes together from six to seven, eight o'clock at night," Johnson said. "Don is a very revered and respected guy. People loved working with him.
"And then from there, I went to more of the commercial fitness route and became a personal training manager, a regional personal training manager, and then a general club manager. So I've been in the industry for about 21 years, and I've been with the same company, Life Time Fitness, for going on 17 years."
The G.M. at Life Time Fitness at River North at One Chicago for the past 11 years, Johnson oversees approximately 170 team members in a residential high-rise in the heart of the city.
"It's a lot of responsibility and it's a lot of reward for me just to be able to be in this environment and create and build networks, the coaching and developing I get to do with my team," Johnson said. "My coaching comes from my background, and so a lot of my analogies that I share with my team are through sports and through my passion for sports. And also, just the process and enjoying the process of improving as a leader or as a team member. Whatever position that you play in our company."
Making his home in suburban Chicago, Johnson has two sons: Daylen and Dawson.
"The best thing about me is my boys, no doubt," Johnson said. "But outside of them, I think it's my experiences that I've been through that have made me into the person that I am, and have equipped me to be able to handle the day-to-day and be successful."
