After 12 seasons in the National Football League, including the 2012-14 seasons with the San Diego Chargers, on Tuesday linebacker Jarret Johnson announced his retirement.
Johnson posted the following message on his Instagram site: “Today I am announcing my retirement from the game I love. I lived a dream, which few can say, but it’s time to move on. I want to thank the Chargers organization for giving me a home these past three years. I have nothing but respect for the players, coaches, front office staff and fans that were apart (sic) of me and my families (sic) lives. It’s been a great ride!! I also want to thank my Baltimore family. Where I learned to be a pro and conduct yourself like a warrior on the field. Where I spent 9 of the best years of my life.”
Johnson steps away from the game having played in 197 games, playoffs included, with 143 starts. He left his mark on opposing offenses in both Baltimore and San Diego with statistics that included 713 career tackles, 27.5 sacks, 36 tackles for loss and three interceptions. Though never selected to the Pro Bowl, Johnson left a lasting mark on his teammates in San Diego as he was selected as the team’s Most Inspirational Player each of the last two seasons.
“JJ is the definition of professional,” said Chargers General Manager Tom Telesco. “He was a leader on the field and in the locker room. He is everything you want in an NFL player, and I’m honored to have worked with him.”
“Jarret is the ultimate pro,” said Chargers Head Coach Mike McCoy. “He is someone that you love to have represent your organization both on and off the football field. For younger players, he was a guy to watch and see how he not only played the game, but how he practiced and how hard he worked. It was second to none. That’s why he’s had the career he’s had. As a head coach, we can’t thank him enough for what he’s done for us and this organization the past few years. I wish him and his family all the best.”
Chargers Defensive Coordinator John Pagano echoed McCoy’s and Telesco’s sentiment.
“JJ is a true warrior of the game,” said Pagano. “What he meant to us not only as a player on the field, and how he played the game with a physical mindset, but also seeing how he approached the game. Every day he came to work, whether in the weight room, classroom, meetings, walk through, practice; it was how he approached every day. I learned a lot from Jarret Johnson, and he made me a better coach day in and day out just being around him.”
Johnson appeared in 15 games for the Chargers in 2014, missing just one game (Sept. 14 vs. Seattle) so he could be by his wife’s side for the birth of the couple’s second child. His final 2014 totals included 57 tackles, six tackles for loss and a sack.
