In addition to coordinating the construction and release of news items by the college's Office of External Relations, he serves as editor of the college's annual magazine, the Keystone. Johnson also develops content for the college's web site and various other publications, including the annual leadership and faculty handbooks.

Before coming to Auburn, Johnson worked for the Columbus (Ga.) Ledger-Enquirer for 11 years. While he most recently served as the newspaper's sports columnist, with a special emphasis on Southeastern Conference athletics, his former job enabled him to be a world traveler. Johnson's special assignments included the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, and frequent trips to the Masters, the Super Bowl and NCAA Final Four. He received numerous national writing awards during his career, including recognition by the Associated Press Sports Editors on three occasions as one of the top five columnists in the nation in the 40,000- to 100,000-circulation category. In 2006, his reporting contributed to a newsroom project that earned McClatchy Newspapers' President's Award.

Johnson graduated Troy University in 1992 with a bachelor's degree in print journalism and public relations.