Joe Johnson (defensive end)

Joseph T. Johnson (born July 11, 1972) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for the New Orleans Saints and the Green Bay Packers. In the 1994 NFL draft, he was selected by the Saints in the first round with the 13th overall pick. He was elected to the Pro Bowl after the 1998 season, missed the entire 1999 season with a severe knee injury that left his career in doubt, but came back in 2000 to once again be named to the Pro Bowl and also named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year. In 2002 Green Bay picked him up in free agency and ESPN named him the biggest free agency bust in Green Bay's history. The Packers gave the former Saints defender a six-year, $33 million contract that included a $6.5 million signing bonus. What they got in return was two sacks in 11 games over two injury-filled seasons, before they cut him. He played college football for the Louisville Cardinals. He was inducted into the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2019.