Kevin Johnson (wide receiver)

Kevin L. Johnson (born July 15, 1976 in Trenton, New Jersey) is a former professional American football player who played wide receiver in college for Syracuse University (where he lost a battle for the quarterback position to Donovan McNabb, hence his switch to wide receiver), then for seven seasons for the Cleveland Browns, the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Baltimore Ravens, and the Detroit Lions. He caught a Hail Mary touchdown pass from Tim Couch as time expired against the New Orleans Saints to give the new Cleveland Browns their first win. Kevin was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the second round in the 1999 NFL Draft. He played for the Browns until 2003, when he was cut mid-season by head coach Paul Hilton "Butch" Davis after Johnson had many productive season as the Browns leading receiver. The rationale offered by Butch Davis which was readily accepted by Johnson's teammates was that Johnson frequently lined up in the wrong place and/or ran imprecise routes drawing defenders into lanes that should have been free for other receivers running their patterns. History tends to bear out that rationale; while Johnson was subsequently claimed by 16 teams, and awarded to the Jaguars, the Jaguars saw fit to trade Johnson to the Ravens who gave up only a 4th round pick to get him and subsequently released Johnson after a single season. Johnson then signed as a free agent with the Lions where he played only in six games in his final season in the NFL in 2005.