High School

Former California High School Standout, NFL Player Found Dead

Kevin Johnson played at Westchester and for several seasons in the NFL.

Dana Becker

California Highway Patrol Officer J. Varela takes a cat out of a large homeless encampment off Highway 23 and Janss Road in Thousand Oaks Tuesday morning. T O Homeless 2
California Highway Patrol Officer J. Varela takes a cat out of a large homeless encampment off Highway 23 and Janss Road in Thousand Oaks Tuesday morning. T O Homeless 2 / JUAN CARLO/THE STAR / USA TODAY NETWORK

A former California high school football player who found his way to the NFL has been found dead.

Kevin Johnson, a graduate of Westchester High School who was on four NFL teams over a five-year run, was found dead at a homeless encampment in the Willowbrook area of Los Angeles, according to a report by KABC-TV.

The L.A. County Medical Examiner records indicated that the 55-year-old’s cause of death was listed as “blunt head trauma” and “stab wounds,” ruling the death a homicide.

Johnson helped lead Westchester to the CIF Los Angeles City Section football championshi in both 1987 and 1988, winning the title once. He later played at Los Angeles Harbor College for two seasons before transferring to Texas Southern.

The defensive lineman was teammates with NFL Hall of Famer Michael Strahan at Texas Southern.

Kevin Johnson Played For Westchester High School Before NFL Career With Multiple Teams Including The Oakland Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles

Johnson was picked by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 1993 NFL Draft with the 86th overall pick. After signing and being released, he landed with the Minnesota Vikings in the same season.

IN 1995, Johnson was signed by the Oakland Raiders, but was waived and signed by the Philadelphia Eagles later that year. He would play in 11 games for the Eagles, recording 19 solo tackles, six sacks and a forced fumble in 11 games, appearing in two playoff games.

Johnson played in 12 games the following season, making five starts while recording 14 solo tackles and a sack. After his release, he signed with the Raiders for a secon time, playing in 15 games with seven solo tackles. He finished his NFL career with 54 tackles and seven sacks.

Friends Point Towards CTE For Health Issues That Troubled Former NFL Player

The Arena Football League was the next stop for Johnson, as he would help the Orlando Predators win ArenaBowl XII with a win over the Tampa Bay Storm. He spent the next few years in the AFL before retiring from football.

In the report, friends of Johnson noted that he had health problems, with many pointing to chronic traumatic encephalopathy, better known as CTE, as the reason for those issues.

“He was my best friend,” Bruce Todd said. “I was best man at his wedding. Great guy, fun-loving. The community is going to miss him.”

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Dana Becker
DANA BECKER

Dana Becker has been a sports writer in Iowa since 2000, writing for The Fort Dodge Messenger, Mason City Globe-Gazette, Cedar Rapids Gazette and others. Dana resides in northcentral Iowa and started as a writer with SB Live Sports in 2022 focused on the state of Iowa. Along with providing coverage of football and wrestling, Dana also spotlights cross country, swimming, basketball, track and field, soccer, tennis, golf, baseball and softball. He began writing for High School on SI in 2023.

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