Ted Curtis Johnson[1] (born December 4, 1972) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He grew up in Carlsbad, California where he graduated from Carlsbad High School in 1991. He played college football for the Colorado Buffaloes and was selected by the Patriots in the second round of the 1995 NFL draft with the 57th overall pick.[2]
Playing career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 3+3⁄8 in (1.91 m) | 248 lb (112 kg) | 32+1⁄2 in (0.83 m) | 9+1⁄4 in (0.23 m) | 4.84 s | 1.66 s | 2.78 s | 4.35 s | 31.5 in (0.80 m) | 10 ft 1 in (3.07 m) | 28 reps | ||
| All values from NFL Combine[3] | ||||||||||||
In his ten-year professional career, Johnson played in 125 regular season games and recorded 763 tackles, 11.5 sacks, one interception, 16 passes defensed, six forced fumbles, and seven fumble recoveries. He was noted for his ability to generate many tackles and for his smart play at the linebacker position. He also was able to make an impact for the Patriots without tackling the ballcarrier, as former Fox Network analyst and NFL player Matt Millen states, "What you didn't see is Ted Johnson stoning the guard, getting off the guard, taking on the fullback and freeing up (Todd) Collins to make the tackle. That play does not get made except for Ted Johnson."[4]
Johnson retired before the 2005 NFL season after sustaining many documented and undocumented concussions during his career.
Career statistics
| Year | Team | GP | Tackles | Fumbles | Interceptions | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comb | Solo | Ast | Sack | STF | FF | FR | Yds | Int | Yds | Avg | Long | TD | PD | |||
| 1995 | NE | 12 | 71 | 41 | 30 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1996 | NE | 16 | 114 | 86 | 28 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 1997 | NE | 16 | 127 | 95 | 32 | 4.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1998 | NE | 13 | 95 | 65 | 30 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 1999 | NE | 5 | 38 | 25 | 13 | 2.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 | NE | 13 | 73 | 50 | 23 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2001 | NE | 12 | 45 | 32 | 13 | 0.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2002 | NE | 14 | 96 | 62 | 34 | 1.5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2003 | NE | 8 | 21 | 15 | 6 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 | NE | 16 | 77 | 55 | 22 | 1.0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | Total | 125 | 757 | 526 | 231 | 11.5 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
Post-playing career
In an interview with USA Today in 2005, Johnson indicated he would know the opposing team's private signals or audibles prior to the game in order to have a competitive advantage. He claims that he never knew the source of the confidential information.[6]
Personal
Johnson served as an adjunct professor for two years at Suffolk University in the Boston area.[12] In 1984, Ted Johnson Sr., his father, and Sylvia Johnson, his stepmother, opened The Original Rib Tickler barbecue restaurant in Tomball, TX.[13] He currently resides in Massachusetts with his longtime girlfriend.
Sports radio
Johnson spent the 2005 season as a football analyst for Boston television station WBZ-TV, but resigned from the station in 2006.
Johnson served as a co-host of "The Triple Threat" afternoon show on KILT (SportsRadio 610) in Houston. During his radio sports talk show on March 21, 2013, he was asked who was the ugliest wife in the NFL. He named Bianca Wilfork, wife of his former teammate Vince Wilfork. After receiving widespread criticism for his comment, including from Wilfork, Johnson issued an apology.[14][15] Johnson left the Triple Threat and SportsRadio 610 in summer 2018 to return to the northeastern US.[12]
In December 2018, 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston hired Johnson.
In January 2025, WEEI hired Johnson to serve as a new co-host for their afternoon-drive show.
References
- ↑ "Top South Florida News, Sports, Weather and Entertainment - South Florida Sun-Sentinel". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.
- ↑ "1995 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
- ↑ "Ted Johnson, Combine Results, ILB - Colorado". nflcombineresults.com. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
- ↑ "Pats' Johnson Solid up the Middle". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.
- ↑ "Ted Johnson Stats". ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
- ↑ "NFL czars: Spygate is 'yesterday's news'". USA Today.
- ↑ "'Spygate' lingers even with closure". USA Today.
- ↑ "'I don't want anyone to end up like me' - The Boston Globe". www.boston.com.
- ↑ Allen, Bruce (February 2, 2007). "Ted Johnson's Downward Spiral".
- ↑ "WEEI Dennis and Callahan audio vault". WEEI (AM). February 14, 2007. Retrieved February 14, 2007.
- ↑ "Ted Johnson making himself heard on radio - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com.
- 1 2 "Ted Johnson". www.cbsnews.com. Archived from the original on May 17, 2013.
- ↑ "Rib Tickler".
- ↑ Uribarri, Jaime (March 22, 2013). "Ted Johnson calls Bianca Wilfork, spouse of former New England Patriots teammate Vince Wilfork, the ugliest wife in the NFL". New York Daily News. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
- ↑ "Ex-Pat sorry for calling Wilfork's wife ugliest". ESPN.com. March 22, 2013.