Bio

Jovon Johnson will be in his second year with the Defiance College Football team in 2020-21. In December 2019, Johnson was elevated to defensive coordinator for the Defiance College football program. He came to Defiance prior to the 2019 season as the defensive backs coach before taking on more responsibilities with the defense toward the end of the year.

Despite his size (5-foot-9), Johnson has an impressive background as a defensive back himself, playing professionally for four teams over 12 seasons (2007-18) in the Canadian Football League. In 2006, he spent time in the National Football League with the Pittsburgh Steelers after an exceptional career at the University of Iowa.

In the CFL, Johnson played in 188 games, collecting 564 tackles and 35 interceptions with eight touchdowns. While with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2011, he earned the CFL’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award and still remains the only defensive back to ever receive the honor, which was established in 1974. Johnson also was a part of the Saskatchewan Roughriders when they won the Grey Cup in 2007. He was twice named a CFL All-Star.

At Iowa from 2002-05 under head coach Kirk Ferentz, Johnson was a four-year starter and First Team All-Big Ten Conference performer. He played in 49 games for the Hawkeyes, finishing with 180 tackles and 17 interceptions. Iowa posted a 38-12 overall record during Johnson’s time there with Jan. 1 bowl game wins over the University of Florida (2004 Outback Bowl) and Louisiana State University (2005 Capital One Bowl). He obtained a Bachelor of Arts in health and sports administration in 2006.

Johnson is originally from Erie, Pennsylvania, where he starred in football and basketball at Mercyhurst Preparatory School. In 2015, he was inducted into the Metropolitan Erie Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.