| Dyontae Johnson | |
| Number: | 54 |
| Current Team: | New York Giants |
| Position: | Linebacker |
| Birth Date: | 28 September 2000 |
| Birth Place: | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Height Ft: | 6 |
| Height In: | 2 |
| Weight Lb: | 230 |
| High School: | Cass Tech (Detroit) |
| College: | Toledo (2018–2022) |
| Undraftedyear: | 2023 |
| Pastteams: |
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| Status: | Injured reserve |
| Pfr: | JohnDy00 |
Dyontae Antjuan Johnson (born September 28, 2000) is an American professional football linebacker for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Toledo Rockets and was signed by the Giants as an undrafted free agent in .
Johnson was born on September 28, 2000, in Detroit, Michigan.[1] He attended Cass Technical High School in Detroit where he played linebacker and helped the team win two regional titles (2016, 2017) and a state championship with an undefeated 2016 season.[2] He committed to play college football for the Toledo Rockets as a three-star recruit.[2]
Johnson did not miss a single game in his collegiate career.[3] As a freshman at Toledo in 2018, he played in all 13 games and totaled eight tackles.[2] He then made 23 tackles in 12 games during the 2019 season, being mainly used as a reserve.[2] He then won a starting role in 2020 and did not miss a start for the rest of his collegiate career.[3] Johnson was the team leader in tackles in 2020 with 47, also posting 4.5 tackles-for-loss (TFLs) that year.[2] In 2021, he was named third-team All-Mid-American Conference (MAC) while recording 86 tackles (fourth on the team), eight TFLs, 2.5 sacks and an interception.[4]
As a senior in 2022, Johnson placed second on the team with 109 tackles and was named second-team All-MAC.[2] [3] He also made eight TFLs, three sacks and three passes defended.[5] He helped the Rockets win the 2022 MAC Championship Game and was named the defensive MVP of the game after recording eight tackles.[6] Johnson was invited to the Hula Bowl all-star game and concluded his collegiate career having totaled 273 tackles, 22.5 TFLs and 6.5 sacks in 57 games played.[3] [7]
After going unselected in the 2024 NFL draft, Johnson signed with the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent.[7] He was waived at the final roster cuts, on August 29, and re-signed to the practice squad the next day.[8] [9] After having spent the entirety of the 2023 season on the practice squad, he signed a reserve/future contract with the Giants on January 8, 2024.[10] He was a standout performer in training camp in 2024.[11] He recorded four tackles, two TFLs and a sack in the preseason opener against the Detroit Lions, but suffered an ankle sprain in the game that led to him missing the rest of preseason.[12] [13] He was announced to have made the team's initial 53-man roster after surviving cutdowns on August 27, but was placed on injured reserve the following day later due to his injury from preseason.[14] [15]