2012 SD Chargers Media Guide_PROOF.P - Seahawks Online ...

96 JARRET JOHNSONOutside Linebacker UFA (Baltimore) - ’126-3, 260 Alabama10th NFL SeasonChiefland HS1st with ChargersCedar Key, Fla.VETERANS &RETURNING PLAYERSThe Chargers landed one of the top prizes in the NFLfree agent pool when outside linebacker Jarret Johnsonsigned a four-year contract in March. The 6-3, 260-poundstandout was rated as the 14th-best available free agentby SI.com. Johnson is expected to take over as the strongoutside linebacker in the Chargers’ 3-4 defense.Johnson’s durability is one of the traits that made him soattractive to the Chargers. He leaves Baltimore havingplayed in a team-record 129 straight regular-season gamesfor the Ravens, including 80 consecutive starts. Nicknamed“J.J.” and “Double-J” by his Ravens teammates, Johnsonepitomized the term “blue-collar player” during his nineseasons wearing the Ravens’ purple and black. His careertotals include 523 tackles, 20 sacks, three interceptions,nine forced fumbles and 21 passes defensed.Johnson, wife Anna, and daughter, Molly-Caroline, maketheir offseason home in Niceville, Fla., close to Eglin AirForce Base. Johnson has long been a supporter of ournation’s armed forces and with San Diego’s large populationof Marines and Navy personnel along with the team’soutreach to area installations, Johnson should have noproblem feeling right at home in San Diego.Johnson is an avid outdoorsman who loves to boat, huntand fish. Ironically, he loves the outdoors despite comingfrom a family with a long and trying legacy of men whomade a living as commercial crabbers and fishermen.Beginning with his great-grandfather, all of the men in theJohnson family worked on the water, including his father,Ludwig, who was tragically lost at sea when Jarret was justtwo weeks shy of his eighth birthday. Johnson grew upfishing with his father and his death took a severe emotionaltoll. It also left his mother, Aida, alone to take care ofJohnson and his sister, Mary Beth, with no job and noinsurance. She quickly got back on her feet though, findinga job as an emergency response technician, while she alsoreturned to nursing school. The only drawback was thatthe job required her to drive nearly 150 miles each day toand from work. To aid the family after Ludwig’s death, oneof his dad’s best friends, Harry Rogers, who had worked onoil rigs up in Alaska, relocated to Florida to help Aida andprovide Johnson with a father figure. And years later, Aidamoved the family to Chiefland, Fla., where Johnsonlaunched his football career on his way to becoming thefirst male in the family to not work as a fisherman. For along time, Johnson resented the water and what it represented,but a couple of years ago while visiting Rogers inFlorida as he was fighting a losing battle with cancer, Johnsonstumbled upon an old book that contained some of hisfather’s old fishing logs. He discovered that his father notonly fished for a living, but worked as a fishing guide, afireman, and he even wrote a fishing report for the localnewspaper. This discovery and all that the books containedhelped provide Johnson with some closure and it rekindledan interest in fishing and being on the water. Johnson evenrecently disclosed that had the NFL lockout continued in2011 that he was considering finding work as a commercialfishing guide, something that is now on hold until hisfootball career comes to a conclusion.Johnson again lives on the water in Niceville where heowns a 22-foot Pathfinder fishing boat. He has plans topurchase an even larger vessel and name it the Hotspur inhonor of his great grandfather, a Danish immigrant whosefirst fishing boat went by the same name.And even though Johnson enjoys hunting and fishing,he has a Chocolate Labrador Retriever and has been aspokesperson for the Humane Society and several campaignsaimed at stopping animal abuse.TRANSACTION HISTORY: Fourth-round pick (109) by Baltimore,April 27, 2003...signed with Ravens, July 26...re-signedwith Ravens March 17, 2006, March 6, 2007 and Oct. 10,2009...contract expired March 13, 2012...signed with Chargers,March 17.2011: USA Today All-Joe...AFC Defensive Player of Weekafter fumble recovery and return 26 yards in 34-17 win overNY Jets Oct. 2... started franchise-record 74th-straight gameNov. 20 vs. Cincinnati. 2010: Played in 100th-consecutivegame Sept. 26 vs. Cleveland...tied team lead with seven stopsto go with sack and forced fumble in 30-24 win over NewOrleans Dec. 19...helped hold Saints to 27 yards rushing,fifth-fewest allowed in franchise history...played in 112thstraightgame to set new Ravens record Dec. 26 at Cleveland.2009: Set career-highs with six sacks and two interceptions...career-besttwo sacks Sept. 13 vs. Kansas City...sack in100th career game Oct. 11 vs. Cincinnati...interception andeight yard return Dec. 7 at Green Bay...pick and passdefensed in 31-7 win over Chicago Dec. 20 as defense heldJay Cutler to franchise-record-low 7.9 passer rating... firstcareerplayoff sack in Divisional round Jan. 16 at Indianapolis.2008: Forced fumble, fumble recovery and 1.5 sacks in 36-7win over Philadelphia Nov. 23. 2007: Career-high 94 tacklesin first year as full-time starter despite playing most of seasonwith broken thumb...career-best 11 tackles and forcedfumble in 20-13 win over NY Jets Sept. 16...season-high fivequarterback hits and pass defensed in 22-3 win over St. LouisOct. 14. 2006: Saw action at defensive end, outside linebackerand middle linebacker with half-sack during 27-0 winover Pittsburgh Nov. 26. 2005: 2005 Extra Effort Awardfrom Ravens Roost No. 7 (Haggerstown, Md.) for Ravenwho worked hardest and provided extra-effort onfield...first-career sack and forced fumble in 16-13 overtimewin vs. Steelers Nov. 20. 2004: First-career interception andsix-yard touchdown return in Jan. 2 season finale vs. Miami.2003: Started first career game as left defensive end Nov. 30vs. San Francisco and broke up pass which led to interception.COLLEGE: Only two-time team captain in Crimson Tide history...first-teamAll-SEC as junior and senior, while gainingsecond-team honors as sophomore...finished career with 190MEDIA GUIDE | 74