| Jakob Johnson | |
| Current Team: | New York Giants |
| Number: | 84 |
| Position: | Fullback |
| Birth Date: | 1994 12, df=yes |
| Birth Place: | Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany |
| Height Ft: | 6 |
| Height In: | 3 |
| Weight Lbs: | 255 |
| College: | Tennessee |
| Undraftedyear: | 2018 |
| Pastteams: |
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| Pastexecutive: |
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| Status: | Active |
| Statseason: | 2023 |
| Statlabel1: | Receptions |
| Statvalue1: | 19 |
| Statlabel2: | Receiving yards |
| Statvalue2: | 105 |
| Statlabel3: | Receiving touchdowns |
| Statvalue3: | 1 |
| Pfr: | JohnJa12 |
Jakob Elijah Johnson (pronounced as /de/ ; born 15 December 1994) is a German-American professional American football fullback for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Tennessee and signed with the New England Patriots in 2019 through the NFL's International Player Pathway Program. After three seasons in New England, Johnson played two seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Johnson was born in Stuttgart, Germany, on 15 December 1994 as Jakob Weinmann. He later took on his father's name Johnson.[1] He played for the Stuttgart Scorpions on the U19 team before moving to Jacksonville, Florida in his senior year of high school. He was a four-star recruit in high school and joined the Tennessee Volunteers as a linebacker.[2] At the University of Tennessee, he became a member of the Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll for three consecutive seasons and graduated with a degree in kinesiology. He is a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity[3]
Following his graduation from Tennessee in 2018, Johnson returned to the Stuttgart Scorpions of the German Football League where he would play for a year. Johnson had 43 receptions for 474 yards and four touchdowns and rushed 10 times for 46 yards in 12 games played. The Scorpions finished with a 4–12 record on the season.[4]
Jakob entered the NFL via the International Player Pathway Program and was signed by New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent on 8 April 2019.[5] He was released during final roster cuts on 31 August 2019.[6] After remaining unclaimed in waivers, he was automatically assigned to the Patriots' practice squad for the 2019 season.[7] As the Patriots chose not to register him as an international player, Jakob counted against the 10-man practice squad limit, and was therefore eligible to be signed to the active roster during the 2019 season.[8] He was promoted from the practice squad on 21 September 2019 following an injury to James Develin and became the first International Pathway player to be activated[9] and play in an NFL game.[10] He was placed on season-ending injured reserve on 14 October 2019 with a shoulder injury. In the 2019 season, he recorded one reception for five yards, and took 94 total snaps — 71 on offense and 23 on special teams — in 4 games played.[11]
To start the 2020 NFL season, his second, Johnson made the Patriots 53-man roster out of camp, becoming the second International Pathway player to do so after Efe Obada.[12] In Week 2 of the 2020 season against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday Night Football, Johnson scored his first NFL touchdown on a one-yard touchdown reception from Cam Newton,[13] becoming the first player from the International Player Pathway to score a touchdown.[14] He also became the first offensive player from Germany and second overall German player to score a touchdown.[15] He appeared in all 16 games and started 11 in the 2020 season.[16]
On 25 March 2021, the Patriots re-signed Johnson to a one-year contract.[17] He appeared in all 17 regular season games (started six) and the Patriots' playoff game against Buffalo.[18]
Johnson signed with the Las Vegas Raiders on 17 March 2022.[19] In the 2022 season, he appeared in all 17 games and started nine for the Raiders. He contributed on offense and special teams.[20]
Johnson signed a one-year contract extension on 15 March 2023.[21] Johnson was released by the Raiders on 17 November 2023 and re-signed to the practice squad four days later.[22] [23] He was signed to the active roster on 29 December.[24] In the 2023 season, he appeared in 13 games and started five. He split time on offense and special teams.[25]
On August 16, 2024, Johnson signed with the New York Giants.[26]
In February 2022, Johnson publicly announced his investment in the American football club Stuttgart Surge and he is now a co-owner.[27]