Johnson was the second running back taken in the 2003 NFL draft, coming out of Penn State.
Johnson was originally taken as insurance for the team, which was not sure if Priest Holmes would be healthy, or that he would sign a contract extension. He was drafted over the objection of coach Dick Vermeil, who wanted to select a defensive player.
The conflicts between Johnson and Vermeil grew, and in 2004 Vermeil said that Johnson needed to grow up and "take the diapers off". Johnson took great offense to this comment, and the public estrangement led to rumors that he would be traded. However, towards the end of the 2004 year season, Johnson got an opportunity to start after the injuries to Holmes and Derrick Blaylock. He became the first player to begin his career rushing for 150 yards in each of his first three games. He would probably start for most NFL teams, but has the misfortune of playing behind one of the NFL's best running backs.
Facing the same situation in 2005, with Blaylock gone and when Holmes went down with a season-ending neck injury in early November, Johnson stepped up, and on November 20 against the Houston Texans ran for a Chiefs' record 211 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He led the league in rushing yards and touchdowns after the injury to Holmes.
At the end of the 2005 regular season, Johnson had nine consecutive games with 100+ rushing yards, breaking the century mark in every start for the Chiefs that season and earning a Pro Bowl berth. During the final game of the 2005 regular season, Johnson set a new franchise record of 1750 rushing yards in one season, eclipsing a mark previously held by Holmes. The remarkable thing about it was that he didn't start in 7 of those games and Holmes was the main focus at running back. In addition to his running ability, he is thought to be an adept receiver, evidenced by his 343 yards on 33 receptions, which computes to an average of over 10 yards per catch.
Johnson was also named the 2005 MVP of the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs' record in 2005 was 10-6, not making the playoffs in spite of a winning record.
With injuries limiting Holmes during the last two seasons, coupled with Johnson's ascendance to the level of elite NFL backs, it is widely believed that Johnson will begin the 2006 season as Kansas City's featured back. In fact, it has been reported that new Chiefs coach Herm Edwards informed Johnson that he would enter training camp as the starting halfback, even in the event that Holmes returns from injury.
On May 4, 2006, it was stated that LJ was still not happy even after rushing for a Chiefs record 1,750 yards, making the Pro Bowl and people on the streets of New York and Las Vegas telling him how great of a running back and player he is. Some of the reasons for him not being happy is that he feels like he got off to a late start and that he hasn't gotten the team to a Super Bowl yet. He still feels that he is playing catch-up. His final statement was "I still feel like I have a lot to prove."
--Wikipedia
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