Keyshawn Johnson

About Keyshawn Johnson

Keyshawn Joseph Johnson (born on July 22, 1972 in Los Angeles, California) is a former American football wide receiver and current television broadcaster for sports channel ESPN. He retired from football on May 23, 2007 after an eleven-year career in the NFL.

Johnson is the youngest of his mother's six children. While her other children lived with relatives, she and Keyshawn struggled to survive, even living in her car at one point. At a young age, Keyshawn was in trouble with the law, spent time at a reformatory camp, and was the victim of a drive-by shooting. Keyshawn is cousins with NFL Pro Bowl Wide Receiver Chad Ocho Cinco and Pro Bowl Cornerback Samari Rolle.

However, by 1990, he had turned his life around, partly due to University of Southern California (USC) football head coach John Robinson. Robinson became a father figure to Keyshawn, allowing him to spend time with the team, fetch balls and helmets, and carry things for the players. Johnson lettered in football and track at Dorsey High School, and was first-team all-state in football. After he earned JC All-America honors at West Los Angeles College, USC offered him an athletic scholarship.