Derrick Johnson

Derrick Johnson was a record-setting football and track athlete at Notre Dame High School, helping the Titans reach great heights in both sports.

A 2000 graduate of Notre Dame, Derrick was a running back and defensive back during the fall, leading the Titans to the CIF Southern Section quarterfinals as a junior and into the semifinals in his senior season, when he amassed 1,990 rushing yards, 586 receiving yards and 39 touchdowns. That year, he was the De Anza League Most Valuable Player, and an All-CIF Small Schools, All-CIFSS and All-Riverside County selection.

As good as Derrick was in football, he might have been better on the track. At the 1999 CIF Southern Section finals, he was second in the 200 meters while winning the 400, the 400 relay and the 1,600 relay. In his senior year, he took second in the 100, second in the 200 and repeated as CIFSS champion in the 400. Derrick still owns school records in the 200, the 400 and both relays, and his high school marks still rank among the best ever in Riverside County history.

From Notre Dame, Derrick went to the University of Washington where he developed into team captain as a senior. He finished with 11 interceptions during his four-year career at UW, returning two for touchdowns. An Associated Press Freshman All-American second team selection, he was the Huskies’ Defensive MVP in 2003 and a two-time All-PAC-10 pick.

In 2005, Derrick was selected in the sixth round of the National Football League draft by the San Francisco 49ers. In his rookie season, he appeared in 14 games, making 41 tackles with four passes defended and one fumble recovery that he returned 78 yards for a touchdown. He remained in the NFL for four more seasons, playing for the Houston Texans, Atlanta Falcons, Miami Dolphins and Seattle Seahawks.

After his playing days, Derrick turned to coaching at California Military Institute in Perris and Canyon Springs High School in Moreno Valley. In 2015, he led Notre Dame to an undefeated 14-0 season and the CIF Northwest Division Championship. He also coached at San Bernardino Valley College and is currently an assistant football and track coach at Murrieta Valley High School.

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