Gannon University head football coach Erik Raeburn announced the hiring of Jovon Johnson as the team’s defensive backs coach/special teams coordinator in March 2024.
Johnson is well-known in area football circles as a former standout at Mercyhurst Prep who went on to star at Iowa as a defensive back before playing in the CFL and NFL for over ten years. Most recently Johnson has served as the head coach at North East High School, building a Grapepickers program into a PIAA playoff team in two seasons.
“Jovon will be a great addition to our staff,” related Raeburn. “He is a local guy and had an amazing playing career at the college and pro level. He has coaching experience at both the high school and college level. I know his experience will benefit our players tremendously.”
Johnson spent the last two seasons serving as the head coach of North East High School. His 2023 squad finished with an 8-3 record, qualifying for the PIAA District 10 Class 3A playoffs. He coached seven District 10 All-Region players.
Prior to that Johnson began his coaching career as the defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach at Defiance College for two seasons. During that period Johnson coached four All-Heartland Conference defensive backs and seven total all-conference performers, along with a first team All-American and first team All-Region honoree.
Johnson spent 11 seasons in the Canadian Football League where he was one of the top defensive performers in the league. He played in the CFL for five different teams after spending 2007 as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
He was a two-time CFL All-Star and five-time CFL East Division All-Star. He was a member of the 2007 Saskatchewan Roughriders that won the Grey Cup.
In 2011 Johnson was the recipient of the CFL’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award while with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, becoming the first defensive back to win the award. In addition to 55 tackles, he intercepted eight passes for 104 yards, returning two for touchdowns.
Johnson led Winnipeg to its first division title in ten years. He was part of a talented secondary that led the CFL in fewest passing yards allowed, holding opponents to the lowest pass completion percentage, and led the league with most team interceptions.
Through six seasons with the Blue Bombers, Johnson amassed 363 tackles, 23 interceptions, eight fumble recoveries and seven defensive touchdowns.
He moved on to the Ottawa Redblacks in 2014. In his second season in 2016 the Redblacks finished first in the CFL East Division and Johnson was named an Eastern All-Star for the fifth time in his career.
Johnson was signed by the Montreal Alouettes for the 2016 campaign and he played in 2017 for the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
All told in his 11 seasons in the CFL Johnson compiled 543 tackles with eight sacks. He totaled 34 interceptions for 585 yards with seven returns for touchdowns. He scored two more touchdowns on fumble returns while forcing nine fumbles and recovering 14 fumbles.
Johnson was not highly recruited coming out of Mercyhurst Prep, with Iowa the lone Power 5 school to offer him a scholarship. He went on to enjoy an outstanding career for the Hawkeyes. He led the team with four interceptions as a junior with the season culminating with a 30-25 win over LSU in the 2005 Capital One Bowl.
Johnson was a four-year letterwinner who led the Hawkeyes in interceptions all four years, including a career-high six in 2003. He earned first-team All-Big Ten honors in 2005. His 17 career interceptions from 2002-05 rank third on Iowa’s all-time list.
Johnson was inducted into the Metro Erie Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 2015. He resides in Erie with his two beautiful children Aurie and Onyx Johnson.
