Dennis Johnson: From Player of the Year to Coaching at Kroger Field

Dennis Johnson still looks every bit like the 6-foot-5 defensive end that terrorized SEC and NFL offensive lines for years.

He still could record a sack at Kroger Field on a Saturday just as he did back at Commonwealth Stadium in the early 2000s. However, Johnson now spends his time leading the Woodford County Yellow Jackets on the football field as their head coach.

Johnson has posted a 28-6 record over his last three years as head coach, all while also serving as the school’s athletic director. So it’s easy to assume that the former All-American and only high school National Defensive Player of the Year to ever come from Kentucky has always had a bright light shining down on his every move.

Except, the story of Dennis Johnson starts in the small town of Harrodsburg, KY.

Humble Beginnings in Harrodsburg

Johnson tells a story about being thrown into a fire at a young age. Since Harrodsburg High School had a stunningly low enrollment rate, sports teams took much work to fill out. However, everything changed when a 5-foot-7, 170-pound 2nd grader walked into the school for the first time

“So my elementary school, we walk in, it’s a little, you know, you’re going into the room with all the kids sitting criss-cross,” Johnson told KSR in an exclusive interview. “My mom taught at the school, but the principal was new, and he was like, ‘Teacher’s lounge is that way.’ He thought I was a teacher, right? So I’m going to teach them. My mom found me in the lounge and asked me what I was doing.”

From a young age, people realized that the Johnson family might be a problem for the state of Kentucky. Johnson’s brother, Derrick, is a year old then Dennis and has been with him every step of the way. So when Dennis made history as he stepped onto the high school varsity football field in second grade, Derick was right there as a third grader. When 18-year-olds trotted down to the area to play Harrodsburg, they were met with two elementary school kids.

Johnson spent two years playing high school ball until a rule was passed that banned elementary schoolers from playing high school sports. This rule began to be known as the “Dennis and Derrick Johnson Rule” among Kentuckians. This allowed him to play baseball, basketball, and soccer growing up. By the time his senior year rolled around, Johnson was the best player in the state. Sports Illustrated, USA Today, and Sporting News named him the National Player of the Year. He also took home Kentucky Mr. Football.

Wildcat for Life

Johnson’s play led to suitors like the University of Michigan and the University of Florida vying for his services. However, Dennis decided to join his older brother at UK, where he would continue to make history. In his freshman year, he was awarded Second-Team All-Freshman honors by the Sporting News with 26 tackles and two sacks.

Johnson earned AP All-SEC honors in his sophomore year with 39 tackles, five sacks, and six tackles for losses. Three games in 1999 cemented Johnson into Wildcats lore.

Johnson blocked a field goal at Arkansas, swinging the momentum back in favor of Kentucky. He also blocked a punt at Mississippi State, setting up a UK touchdown. And best of all, Johnson recorded five tackles with two for loss and a blocked field goal in the Music City Bowl loss to Syracuse. Even though an injury against Louisville forced him out of action his junior year, Johnson was still seen as the best defender on the Wildcats roster.

Johnson’s success in Lexington led to the defensive end being drafted in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. He played two seasons with Arizona before finishing his career with the 49ers in 2005. 

Like Father, Like Son

However, success did not come without sacrifices.

As other kids were enjoying the spoils of being young, he practiced three times a day starting at 6:30 AM as a second grader. It became natural for Johnson, as he just loved to play football.

“I didn’t go to birthday parties and some important stuff, you know, and I tell these kids, I tell them like, I went to prom my senior year. But my mom made me go. We had homecoming. But my dad was like, why go? We got to work out in the morning.”

Dennis and Derrick worked hard for their father every day, as he encouraged them to work harder than they thought was possible. Working this hard at a young age never seemed odd to Johnson, as he loved playing sports. But, in reality, their father’s hard work and tenacity for success must have rubbed off on the pair of Wildcats.

His reverence for his father is evident when Johnson speaks about him.

Alvis Johnson is a great father and man who worked hard for his family. Alvis was the first African American to serve as president of the National Federation of High School Athletics Board of Directors — a feat that Dennis is still proud of to this day. His father was also an assistant athletic director at the University of Kentucky for eight years. 

Another Johnson could be heading to Kentucky

Throughout Johnson’s rise to prominence in the SEC and even into the NFL, one word stuck with him. As a young man growing up with Dennis’s success, many people began to add pressure. Being only 18 and famous in Kentucky can be challenging as the pressures of growing up begin to pile on. However, something his parents said at a young age stuck with him.

“My parents called it a watchdog; you’ve been there. You shouldn’t be doing this, but you do it anyway. When your conscious says don’t do it, you better listen. I don’t need to be at this party, I don’t need to be drinking, and you do it anyways. You have to listen to that watchdog.”

Now, Dennis Johnson uses this advice to guide another athlete taking over the state as a young athlete. His name… Jasper Johnson. 

This past year, Jasper put the nation on notice as a sophomore guard at Woodford County High School in Versailles, KY. The nationally-ranked four-star recruit tore up the in-state competition this season, averaging 20.1 points per game and leading the Yellow Jackets to the Final Four. As a result, Jasper is being pursued by both Louisville and Kentucky, along with Alabama, Arkansas, Memphis, and plenty more.

Most of the Commonwealth will hope that Jasper will follow in his father’s footsteps and join the Big Blue Nation. However, Dennis hopes that Jasper can find his home for team success,

“Reed (Sheppard) is a perfect example,” Dennis said. “He worries about getting his team involved and winning. You can’t focus on how much you score at these high-level places. The best thing anybody told me was to name five D1 freshmen that averaged 20 points last season; you can’t.”

A story as poetic as they come, could Jasper end up in blue and white? Time will tell. But what can be said for sure is that Dennis Johnson is doing things at Woodford County that many did not seem possible. However, that is the story of Johnson’s life and his father’s.

Hard work makes all things possible.

*Editor’s note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Johnson has taken Woodford County to three straight state championships. He has yet to take Woodford County that far in the state tournament.*