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Eric Johnson (tight end)

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Eric Johnson
No. 82
PositionTight end
Personal information
Born (1979-09-15) September 15, 1979 (age 47)[1]
Needham, Massachusetts, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight252 lb (114 kg)
Career information
High schoolNeedham
CollegeYale (1997–2000)
NFL draft2001: 7th round, 224th overall pick
Career history
Awards and highlights
Career NFL statistics
Receptions240
Receiving yards2,178
Receiving touchdowns9
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Eric Maxwell Johnson (born September 15, 1979) is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2001 NFL draft. He played college football at Yale.

Early life and college

[edit]

Johnson was born in Needham, Massachusetts. He attended Needham High School and Belmont Hill School in Massachusetts.[2] He went on to Yale University, where he played wide receiver. He caught 21 receptions for 244 yards in Yale's come-from-behind victory against Harvard in the 1999 Harvard–Yale Game, including the game-winning touchdown catch.[3]

Professional career

[edit]
Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeight
6 ft 1+5⁄8 in
(1.87 m)		233 lb
(106 kg)
Values from Pro Day[4]

Johnson was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2001 NFL draft.[5] When healthy, he was a contributor to the 49ers passing game. However, he missed all of 2003 with an injury and missed all of 2005 with an injury as well. In 2004, he led the 49ers in receiving with 82 catches for 825 yards and two touchdowns. During the 2006 season, Johnson split time with tight end Vernon Davis, the team's first-round draft pick.[1]

Johnson signed a one-year contract with the New Orleans Saints in 2007. He was re-signed by the team on March 14, 2008. On July 31, 2008, the Saints released him.[1]

NFL career statistics

[edit]
Legend
Bold Career high

Regular season

[edit]
Year Team Games Receiving
GPGSTgtRecYdsAvgLngTD
2001SFO 161464403629.1243
2002SFO 121065363218.9380
2004SFO 16141178282510.1252
2006SFO 13949342928.6262
2007NOR 141263483787.9222
71593582402,1789.1389

Playoffs

[edit]
Year Team Games Receiving
GPGSTgtRecYdsAvgLngTD
2001SFO 1154369.0130
2002SFO 221610858.5250
3321141218.6250

Personal life

[edit]

Johnson was married to stylist Keri Johnson, whom he divorced in 2010. He began dating singer and actress Jessica Simpson in January 2010.[6] They announced their engagement that November.[7] The couple married on July 5, 2014, at the San Ysidro Ranch, in Montecito, Santa Barbara County, California.[8] They have three children.[9][10][11][12] In January 2025, Simpson revealed to People that she and Johnson had separated earlier that month.[12]

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 3 "Eric Johnson". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved September 2, 2013.
  2. ↑ Flanagan, Michael (April 28, 2020). "Spotlighting former Needham standout athlete Eric Johnson". Hometown Weekly. Retrieved November 6, 2025.
  3. ↑ THE GAME: "Yale vs. Harvard, Highlights from the Series" New Haven Register, November 19, 2011. Retrieved June 21, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Eric Johnson College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved August 22, 2026.
  5. ↑ "2001 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  6. ↑ Dyball, Rennie; Baker, K.C. (July 5, 2010). "Jessica Simpson Dating Ex-NFL Player". People. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
  7. ↑ Silverman, Stephen M. (November 14, 2010). "Jessica Simpson Engaged to Eric Johnson". People. Retrieved November 14, 2010.
  8. ↑ "Jessica Simpson walks six miles a day to get a Toned Body before Marriage". IANS. news.biharprabha.com. Retrieved May 30, 2014.
  9. ↑ "It's a Girl for Jessica Simpson!". People. May 1, 2012. Retrieved May 1, 2012.
  10. ↑ Coleman, Miriam (June 30, 2013). "Jessica Simpson Gives Birth to Baby Boy". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 3, 2019. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  11. ↑ "Jessica Simpson welcomes new daughter". CNN. March 20, 2019.
  12. 1 2 "Jessica Simpson and Husband Eric Johnson Split After 10 Years of Marriage: 'Painful Situation'". People.com.
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