Jakob Johnson wants to make a fresh start with the New York Giants. The German NFL star is looking forward to an exciting future and is offering fans a live opportunity in Munich.
Jakob Johnson, the German NFL hopeful, is taking a new step in his career. The 29-year-old fullback recently signed with the New York Giants. This is not only a new stop for Johnson, but also another milestone on his extraordinary journey from Stuttgart to the American football elite.
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The journey of the now 29-year-old did not begin on the football field, but on the lawn of TSV Sielmingen, where he played football as a child. But when the matching jerseys and pants became too small, Johnson had to stop. “My physical proportions did not fit until I ended up playing football,” Johnson recalled at the Sports Illustrated.
This decision would change his life. In 2007, when Johnson was still a teenager, he saw his first football game on television. The New York Giants played against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. This moment was groundbreaking for Johnson: “I immediately realized: This is my thing.”
Back then, he had no idea that twelve years later he would be on the field for the Patriots himself.
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From German football to American football
Johnson moved to the Stuttgart Scorpions, where he took his first steps in American football. However, his path to becoming a professional player was anything but straightforward.
After an impressive college degree from the University of Tennessee, Johnson battled setbacks, including shoulder surgery that derailed his NFL dreams for the time being. During this difficult period, Johnson worked hard to stay in the conversation.
He waited tables at festivals and used tips to support himself and pay for fitness training. His hard work paid off when he was discovered by NFL scouts in 2018 and selected for the International Player Pathway program.
Breakthrough in the NFL
The breakthrough came in 2019, when Johnson was signed by the New England Patriots. The franchise was not only the best team in the NFL at the time, but also had Tom Brady, arguably the best quarterback of all time, in its ranks.
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Johnson quickly made a name for himself alongside Brady. In his first season, the 1.90 meter tall football player even made various appearances and a total of four starts. Particularly noteworthy was his historic touchdown in 2020, as the first German offensive player in the NFL. In fact, only one German had previously managed a touchdown in the NFL: Markus Kuhn.
Johnson was long considered one of the best fullbacks in the American professional league – and that in this endangered position. His reputation as a German NFL hope is therefore not without reason.
But the best football league in the world is known for its constant changes and so the German NFL professional moved to the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022. He followed his then coach Josh McDaniels. After a solid first season in which he played all games, Johnson was dropped from the squad the following season. The reason for this was a concussion.
In November 2023, the Raiders surprisingly parted ways with Johnson. And so he was left as a free agent without a team. Until now. The move to the Giants now opens up a new opportunity for him.
A new challenge at the Giants
In New York, Johnson will meet his former offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo, who coached him at the Patriots and the Raiders. The Giants even gave up the injured tight end Tyree Jackson for him. But Johnson must first prove himself as a serious addition to the squad.
If he succeeds and makes it into the Giants’ final squad, German fans will have a special reason to celebrate. Because: The New York Giants are coming to Germany! On November 10th they will play against the Carolina Panthers in the Allianz Arena in Munich. So there is hope of seeing the German NFL star live in his home country.
