Anthony Johnson `06

Like many high school student-athletes, Anthony Johnson chose the school that offered what he thought he needed to succeed. As a student at Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville, MD, he received a great education and interest from many football programs. Most of his teammates went to Division I schools, but he decided to attend a Division II HBCU, where he soon found it was too far from home. As he was contemplating his next move, he realized he was looking for a school that had a coach who was a good person and who treated his players as people first. He met SU Football Head Coach Sherman Wood during his recruiting trip, and he knew that Salisbury University was the place for him.

During his time as an SU player and a coach, he learned from the best. Coach Wood and Coach Robb Disbennett kept him accountable. Coaches Ryan and Doug Fleetwood provided honest feedback, which continues to resonate with him to this day. “The father figures I had at Salisbury helped to shape me as a person and helped every step of the way,” Johnson remarked.

After SU, he had a number of coaching stints, including offensive coordinator and then head coach at Cheyney University, where he then hired fellow SU alum Jacquis McCray ’07, M’09. After finding out the program was going to fold, he had a few other stops before he came back to SU to be the offensive coordinator for three years. Next, he went to Shippensburg University for a short stint, and then he was offered the job at Lafayette College, where he currently resides as the academic coordinator and running backs coach.

With each position, he was able to connect with other young minority coaches and became a part of a text group that encouraged each other to take advantage of opportunities, including the National Football League’s (NFL) Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship. The fellowship helps outstanding coaches gain exposure to NFL training camps and offseason workout programs, including mini-camp and networking opportunities to build relationships within the coaching ranks of the NFL.

“Great recommendations from Lafayette Head Coach John Troxell and Defensive Coordinator Mike Saint German helped me get the first two interviews. I later picked up the phone for additional help and a recommendation letter from Coach Disbennett.”

Johnson reached out to Coach Disbennett to see if he would help connect him with newly appointed Washington Commanders Head Coach Dan Quinn ’93. That connection led to a final Zoom interview where he presented in front of Commanders coaches and a subsequent admission to the program.

During his time with the Commanders, Johnson learned new ways to present information and how to forge relationships to get the most out of players. He helped where needed on and off the field and gave a running back presentation on everyday drills to the coaching staff – including Quinn, who later sat with Johnson in the cafeteria to praise his presentation. “To have Coach Quinn go out of his way to connect with me about my presentation was a great moment,” shared Johnson. “It is as much a reflection on him as a person as the quality of my presentation. I was very fortunate to have the experience to coach with him, former NFL head coach Anthony Lynn and others at the Commanders facility.”

Johnson looks forward to using his newfound knowledge and pay it forward by helping other coaches move forward with their coaching pursuits.