Brandon Johnson not only learned about the X’s and O’s from his football career. He learned about life.

“The main thing I found out was the type of person I wanted to be and the type of person I didn’t want to be because I’ve had both of those teammates,” Johnson said. “I found out what type of coach I wanted to be and what type of coach I didn’t want to be.”

Football has been the one constant in his life from picking football over basketball, playing at the University of Louisville and a seven-year career in the NFL. 

At 35, it still remains a part of his life. He has been the defensive coordinator at Gilbert High School for the last four years. They made the playoffs for the first time in coaching tenure this past season.

Johnson admitted it was a tough adjustment to learn how to coach at the high school football level.

“My patience and willingness to work with someone that doesn’t know as much is a lot better now,” Johnson said.

“You have to do an incredible job, if you are going to win any games, highlighting your good players and hiding your not so good players,” Johnson said. “You have to, otherwise you are going to get destroyed.”

Gilbert quarterback Will Plummer said Johnson prepares his players by giving them a six-to seven-page packet on what defense he is running, full of assignments for each position at the beginning of each week. Each packet is different depending on the team Gilbert faces during that respective week.

Johnson recalled his first game at Gilbert and felt as if Gilbert should not have lost against St. Mary’s. Johnson admitted he “put too much on the kids plate that game.” That game humbled Johnson and helped him realize that everyone did not have the same knowledge or experience of football he had.

“It’s different trying to coach someone football that doesn’t know anything about football,” Johnson said. “That was a perspective that I had never seen before. I learned a lot in that first year.”

Johnson has instilled confidence and trust with his players and does not let them get down on themselves.

“He really believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself and didn’t think I was that good,” former Gilbert safety Corvan Otanez said. “He has his football side where he’s all serious, but after that, he’s hilarious. He’s just a great guy to be around.”

Johnson credited his former linebacker coach Jeff Fitzgerald with the Cincinnati Bengals for teaching him football’s X’s and O’s and making him a self-proclaimed “nerd” of the game.

“He’s one of the smartest X’s and O’s guys that I’ve ever come in contact with,” coach Derek Zellner said.

Johnson not only coaches his defensive players, but he also teaches offensive players complex defensive schemes to better prepare them for their games.

“If you have any questions or anything he would break it down as simple as possible,” Plummer said.

“He said there’s someone out there working just as hard as you, if not harder to get to the same place you’re going and only one of you can make it. So you just have to be competing at all times and just remember that there’s someone out there trying to do the same thing,” Otanez said.

Johnson’s coaching experience at Gilbert has taught him to reap the fruits of his labors with his players.

“The rewarding part about coaching is building the trust between coach and player and seeing the plan come to fruition,” Johnson said. “That’s a reward that’s hard to find in other places.”

Johnson admitted he wants to become a head coach eventually.

“I want to do it the right way though. I want to build my own program and win the game. I don’t want to go into a situation where it’s already built in, plug and play,” Johnson said. “I like the challenge of building things, turning programs around.”

Johnson has high aspirations and goals for himself that he wants to accomplish as a head coach.

“If I’m going to be in this coaching game, I’d love to win a Super Bowl, I’d love to win a state championship, I’d love to win a national championship. Basically a championship at any level,” Johnson said.

Johnson could have played basketball or football at the college level. Johnson was offered a basketball scholarship from the University of Richmond in eighth grade. 

Johnson also played for the Nike sponsored “Alabama Select” travel ball team. But, Johnson did not think he could turn professional playing basketball. 

Johnson recalled facing longtime National Basketball Association veteran Tyson Chandler in one of his travel games and knew he was no match. “In the first two minutes I was dunked on and had my shot blocked into the third row,” Johnson said.

After that, Johnson realized it would be easier for him to go to the National Football League rather than the NBA.

Johnson played for coach John L. Smith and coach Bobby Petrino at the University of Louisville.  Johnson described the coaches as polar opposites.

“Coach Smith is a players coach, he’s a loving guy, the type of guy that would give you a big hug and kiss after the game. You need a coach like that in your life. Coach Petrino is an old-school guy, pretty hard-nosed. He gave me thick skin. You need somebody like that in your life as well,” Johnson said.

Johnson applied the personalities from his coaches at Louisville and is both coaches in one at Gilbert.

Johnson made Arizona his home and never left once he was drafted by the Cardinals in the fifth round in 2006 NFL Draft.

“I didn’t know where I would go or when I would get drafted. Arizona surprised me. They didn’t interview me at the combine, so I was surprised by it,” Johnson said.

Johnson spent a couple of seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals before finishing his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2012.

After taking a couple of years off after retirement and spending those post-retirement years with his family, Johnson decided to become the defensive coordinator at Gilbert in 2015 because he wanted to coach and the school was not far from him.

Family is the most important thing to Johnson.

“Family is everything in this world. You have to have somebody that has your back,” Johnson said.

Johnson always had a fan base at his games. “My mom did not miss a game home or away until I went to college. Even in college, she did not miss a home game,” Johnson said.

Johnson made sure he knew exactly where his family was before his games. He acknowledged them as soon as he stepped on the field. 

He kept this sign of respect going even when he made it to the NFL. Johnson made sure to acknowledge his wife before every game.

Johnson and his wife Chakeia started the Johnson Family Foundation around the same time he retired from the NFL.

“She wanted to do something to give back to the community and to make a positive impact,” Johnson said. “We’ve done football camps, we’ve done backpack drives and food drives.”

Johnson grew up in Birmingham, where football is considered religion. “I’m from Alabama, so loving football is not hard,” Johnson said.