After playing football for two years at West Los Angeles College, Johnson transferred to University of Southern California, where he played for coach John Robinson's USC Trojans football team in 1994 and 1995. In 1994 he finished with 66 catches for 1,362 yards and 9 TD. In 1995 he finished with 102 catches for 1,434 yards and 7 TD. As a Trojan, he was twice recognized as a consensus first-team All-America selection. After the 1994 college season, Johnson helped lead the Trojans to a win in the 1995 Cotton Bowl Classic, after which he was named the game's Most Valuable Player. The Trojans then played in the 1996 Rose Bowl, during which Johnson caught 12 passes for a Rose Bowl record 216 yards and one touchdown in the Trojans' 41–32 victory over the Northwestern Wildcats. He was named the Player of the Game. He was inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame on December 31, 2008.
The figure is an official NFL licensed Sports Super Star Collectible copyrighted by the Kenner company in 1997. Included on the hanging display card are a 4-inch action figure, a helmet with the pro team's colors/logo, and a collectible Starting Lineup football card. The football cards included with the figures are becoming of interest to football card collectors in their own right.
The football card and figure set is in mint condition inside its near-mint original packaging . . . it has never been opened, there is no fading, no corner nubs on the hanging card, no creases or bends, no bubble damage. I purchased the figure new and have stored it since purchased. It has never been displayed.
Starting Lineup was a brand of action figures produced from 1988 to 2001, first by Kenner and later by Hasbro. The figures became very popular, and eventually included sports stars from baseball, football, basketball, hockey, auto racing, boxing, track & field, skating, soccer, and golf.