Los Angeles County Sheriff’s homicide investigators continue to examine the death of former NFL defensive tackle Kevin Johnson, a spokesperson told USA TODAY Sports on Jan. 23.
Investigators have released limited details on the death of Johnson, 55, who was found shortly before 8 a.m. PT Jan. 21, near a homeless encampment roughly 10 miles east of Los Angeles International Airport. In a release, the sheriff’s office said that deputies located an unconscious adult male, later identified as Johnson, suffering from head trauma. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
‘Unfortunately it appears he was homeless,’ Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Lt. Steve De Jong told Newsweek on Jan. 22. ‘It looks like he was probably living there.’
The sheriff’s office has not released additional information about its investigation, including the status of its search for a suspect.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner on Jan. 22 cited ‘blunt head trauma and stab wounds’ as Johnson’s cause of death and listed his place of death as a homeless encampment.
USA TODAY Sports will continue to update its reporting on Johnson’s death as new information is made available. Here’s what we know about Johnson and his playing career:
Kevin Johnson’s college career: Standout defensive lineman at Texas Southern
Johnson, a Los Angeles native, played college football at Los Angeles Harbor College and Texas Southern, where he was a teammate of Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end Michael Strahan. Johnson was drafted two rounds after Strahan in the 1993 NFL draft as a 6-foot-1, 306-pound interior lineman.
Kevin Johnson’s NFL career: Eagles, Raiders stops after Patriots draft selection
The New England Patriots drafted Johnson in the fourth round of the 1993 NFL Draft. After the Patriots released Johnson that August, the defensive tackle made brief stops in Minnesota and Oakland as a practice squad member and training camp participant before the Philadelphia Eagles claimed him off of waivers in August 1995.
Johnson played two seasons for the Eagles, appearing in 23 games and starting six of them in the regular season with 54 tackles, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery, which he also returned for a touchdown. He also appeared in two playoff games in 1995. Philadelphia suspended, then released Johnson in 1996 after he missed a practice, according to Pro Football Reference and the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Johnson signed with the then-Oakland Raiders the following April, and he appeared in 15 games for Oakland, tallying seven tackles.
After Johnson’s release from the Raiders in 1998, he played four years in the Arena Football League, winning an ArenaBowl with the Orlando Predators in 1998.
