Former Troy wide receiver John Johnson died Thursday in Jacksonville, Fla., from injuries he suffered in a motorcycle accident. He was 24.
Florida law enforcement officials said Johnson was traveling southbound on a Suzuki motorcycle on State Road 13 and decided to veer into the northbound lane to pass a Ford F-150 truck that had slowed to make a turn. The motorcycle clipped the truck’s rear, and Johnson was thrown to the ground.
He was not wearing a helmet, authorities said.
Johnson was transported to an area hospital and pronounced dead.
Johnson played for the Trojans from 2014-17. He grew up in Troy, Ala., and was part of the team that had the nation’s best turnaround in 2016, winning 10 games and reaching No. 25 in the Associated Press poll.
In his final game with the Trojans, he scored a touchdown and completed a two-point conversion in the New Orleans Bowl in 2017, a win that gave Troy an 11-2 record.
Johnson played in 48 career games, catching 81 passes for 949 yards and four touchdowns.
In a news release announcing his death, the university detailed Johnson’s extensive work in his hometown community, which included volunteering for Read Across America, Pike County Heart Walk, Salvation Army food drives and Habitat for Humanity.
“We are absolutely heartbroken to learn of John’s passing,” Troy athletic director Brent Jones said. “He leaves behind quite a legacy by the impact that he made on Troy Athletics, Troy University and the Troy community. John was everything you could ask for from a student-athlete. He represented the name on the front and back of the jersey with class and dignity in the classroom, on the field and in the countless community service projects he championed. Our love, thoughts and prayers go out to John’s family, friends and teammates as we mourn the loss of a life taken too soon.”
