Check out photos from George Johnson's breakout season with the Lions.
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RELATED: BUCS TRADE FOR JOHNSON1. He graded out better against the pass than against the run.
In 2014, Johnson graded out 7.9 points higher against pass than against the run, according to Pro Football Focus. On 531 snaps, he sacked, hit or hurried the quarterback 39 times.
2. He played about half of his team's snaps last season.
Johnson was on the field for 46% of the Lions' defensive plays in 2014.
3. He'll be wearing a new number this season.
Last season in Detroit, Johnson wore No. 93. That number, though, is occupied in Tampa by three-time Pro Bowler Gerald McCoy. When Johnson first entered the league with the Buccaneers in 2011, he wore No. 67.
4. He's a south Jersey hero.
As a linebacker, Johnson led Glassboro High School in New Jersey to an 11-1 record and an appearance in the state championship game. He was one of the top recruits in the state and drew offers from Penn State, Virginia Tech and Boston College, among others, before committing to Rutgers. Every summer, he goes back to Glassboro and hosts a youth football camp. "Glassboro has such a tradition, and we all have so much pride behind the school," Johnson said to The South Jersey Times. "It means a lot to me to be able to come back and show them that if you work hard and if you want it bad enough, you'll get to where you want to go to."
5. He's persevered.
In his first three seasons in the NFL, Johnson appeared in 18 games, earning 11 tackles and no sacks. He spent 2013 out of football before being signed by the Lions last summer. In the first quarter of his first game back, he recorded his first-ever sack, one of six he'd earn that season.
