Bethel Johnson
Encyclopedia
Bethel Johnson is an American football
wide receiver
who is currently a free agent
. He was drafted by the New England Patriots
in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Texas A&M
.
Johnson earned two Super Bowl ring
s with the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVIII
and Super Bowl XXXIX
. He has also been a member of the New Orleans Saints
, Minnesota Vikings
, Philadelphia Eagles
, Houston Texans
and Toronto Argonauts
.
and as a senior, he led his team to the Class 4A state title game, and made 44 receptions for 979 yards and 13 receiving touchdowns.
, and finished his college football
career with 117 receptions for 1740 yards (14.9 yards per reception), and 11 receiving touchdowns. His 117 receptions and 1740 receiving yards both rank second in school career records.
, Johnson served primarily as a speed specialist for the Patriots. He was known for several long-range diving catches, as well as two kick returns
for touchdowns. In 2003
and 2004
, he won the Super Bowl
with the New England Patriots
, who was drafted sixth overall by the Saints in 2003
. Johnson was criticized in New England for his ego, and his work ethic. Even though he had incredible speed, Bill Belichick called him, "the worst receiver he has ever seen." Saints coach Sean Payton
questioned Johnson's "conditioning, his stamina and endurance" during the preseason.
Johnson was cut from the Saints before the 2006
regular season began after injuring his knee in a preseason game
on October 10, 2006. He appeared in 11 games with two starts for the Vikings that season, catching nine passes for 156 yards. He became a free agent
in the 2007 offseason.
. However, he was released on August 31, 2007 during final cuts and spent the season out of football.
of the Canadian Football League
. He was released on September 30 because of his lack of progress; ranking just seventh on the team in receiving with 16 catches for 189 yards and no touchdowns.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He was drafted by the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft
2003 NFL Draft
The 2003 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft was held April 26–27, 2003 at the Theatre at...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Texas A&M
Texas A&M Aggies football
The Texas A&M Aggies football team represents Texas A&M University in college football. The Aggies have competed in the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996. They will join the Southeastern Conference in July 2012. Texas A&M football has earned one national title and 18...
.
Johnson earned two Super Bowl ring
Super Bowl ring
The Super Bowl ring is an award in the National Football League given to the winners of the league's annual championship game, the Super Bowl...
s with the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVIII
Super Bowl XXXVIII
Super Bowl XXXVIII was an American football game played on February 1, 2004 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas to decide the National Football League champion following the 2003 regular season....
and Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX was an American football game played on February 6, 2005, at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, to decide the National Football League champion following the 2004 regular season...
. He has also been a member of the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
, Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
, Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
.
Early years
Johnson attended Peachtree Elementary School in Norcross, Georgia before attending Corsicana High School in Corsicana, TexasCorsicana, Texas
Corsicana is a city in Navarro County, Texas, United States. It is located on Interstate 45 some fifty-five miles south of downtown Dallas. The population was 24,485 at the 2000 census...
and as a senior, he led his team to the Class 4A state title game, and made 44 receptions for 979 yards and 13 receiving touchdowns.
College career
Johnson attended Texas A&M UniversityTexas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
, and finished his college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
career with 117 receptions for 1740 yards (14.9 yards per reception), and 11 receiving touchdowns. His 117 receptions and 1740 receiving yards both rank second in school career records.
New England Patriots
Drafted 45th overall in the 2003 NFL Draft2003 NFL Draft
The 2003 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft was held April 26–27, 2003 at the Theatre at...
, Johnson served primarily as a speed specialist for the Patriots. He was known for several long-range diving catches, as well as two kick returns
Kick returner
In American and Canadian football, a kick returner is the player on special teams who is primarily responsible to catch kickoffs and attempts to return them in the opposite direction. If the ball is kicked into his own endzone, he must assess the situation on the field while the ball is in the...
for touchdowns. In 2003
Super Bowl XXXVIII
Super Bowl XXXVIII was an American football game played on February 1, 2004 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas to decide the National Football League champion following the 2003 regular season....
and 2004
Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX was an American football game played on February 6, 2005, at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, to decide the National Football League champion following the 2004 regular season...
, he won the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
with the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
New Orleans Saints
He was traded to the Saints on June 5, 2006 for defensive tackle Johnathan SullivanJohnathan Sullivan
Johnathan Lamar Sullivan is an American football defensive tackle and current free agent. He was drafted sixth in the first round by the New Orleans Saints in the 2003 NFL Draft...
, who was drafted sixth overall by the Saints in 2003
2003 NFL Draft
The 2003 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft was held April 26–27, 2003 at the Theatre at...
. Johnson was criticized in New England for his ego, and his work ethic. Even though he had incredible speed, Bill Belichick called him, "the worst receiver he has ever seen." Saints coach Sean Payton
Sean Payton
Patrick Sean Payton is the current head coach of the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. Payton was a quarterback at Naperville Central High School and Eastern Illinois University and played professionally in 1987 and 1988...
questioned Johnson's "conditioning, his stamina and endurance" during the preseason.
Johnson was cut from the Saints before the 2006
2006 NFL season
The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League.Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006...
regular season began after injuring his knee in a preseason game
Minnesota Vikings
Johnson was then signed by the Minnesota VikingsMinnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
on October 10, 2006. He appeared in 11 games with two starts for the Vikings that season, catching nine passes for 156 yards. He became a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
in the 2007 offseason.
Philadelphia Eagles
On March 8, 2007 he signed a one year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles. He was released on June 5 after he failed a physical.Houston Texans
On July 9, 2007, Johnson signed with the Houston TexansHouston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. However, he was released on August 31, 2007 during final cuts and spent the season out of football.
Toronto Argonauts
On May 26, 2008, Johnson was signed by the Toronto ArgonautsToronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
. He was released on September 30 because of his lack of progress; ranking just seventh on the team in receiving with 16 catches for 189 yards and no touchdowns.