Lane Johnson

Early life

Johnson was born in Groveton, Texas, and attended Groveton High School, where he played football and competed in track. In football, he was an honorable mention All-state selection as a quarterback, and was named All-district.

In track and field, Johnson competed in the throwing events. He earned a fourth-place finish in the shot put event at the 2008 UIL 1A State Championships, with a top-throw of 15.21 meters (49 ft 7 in).

College career

Johnson attended Kilgore College, a junior college in East Texas, and played quarterback and tight end for the Kilgore Rangers football team for the 2008 season. In his sole year at Kilgore, Johnson amassed 510 passing yards for 3 touchdowns and 7 interceptions with a 52.4% completion rate while at quarterback.

After his freshman year, he transferred to the University of Oklahoma, where he played for the Oklahoma Sooners football team from 2009 to 2012. Originally serving as a practice squad quarterback during his redshirt season, he transitioned to tight end in the fall of 2010 and switched again to defensive end for the spring of 2011. After two starting linemen went down with injuries at the beginning of the 2011 fall season, offensive line coach Bruce Kittle asked multiple players, including Johnson, to try out as back-up linemen to fill in the missing roster depth. Kittle was amazed by Johnson's footwork and natural pass blocking abilities and immediately switched him to offensive tackle. Two games later, Johnson would be named the Sooners' starting right tackle, and he would start the remaining 12 games of the season. As a senior in 2012, he switched to left tackle and started 11 of 13 games. and was named a third-team All-American by CBSSports.com. He was inducted into the Senior Bowl Hall of Fame on June 25, 2023. Johnson was named to the Senior Bowl 75th Anniversary Team in November 2023.

Personal life

Johnson was married to Chelsea Goodman from January 2013 raising three children together until a 2019 separation. Goodman attended the NFL draft with Johnson, as they met at the University of Oklahoma, where Goodman was a high jumper. Johnson's former father-in-law is John Goodman, who played defensive end for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1980 to 1985.

On May 22, 2019, Johnson donated $500,000 to Kilgore College for the development of "The Lane" Athletic Performance Center, a 3,800 square-foot training facility that opened March 3, 2021, on the Kilgore College campus. Johnson attended the grand opening of the facility.

Johnson and Eagles teammates Jason Kelce and Jordan Mailata formed the vocal group The Philly Specials, and in 2022, released the Christmas album A Philly Special Christmas. Its sequel, A Philly Special Christmas Special, was released in December 2023. Their third and final album, A Philly Special Christmas Party, was released on November 22, 2024.

On April 6, 2024, Johnson and former Eagles teammate Jason Kelce (wearing Luchador masks) participated in WrestleMania XL, helping Rey Mysterio and Andrade win their match. The event was held in Philadelphia at Lincoln Financial Field.