Brian Johnston (center)

Joseph Brian Johnston was born on November 26, 1962, in Highland, Maryland.^[1] He attended Glenelg High School in Glenelg, Maryland.^[1]

Johnston was a four-year letterman for the North Carolina Tar Heels of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 1981 to 1984.^[1] He joined the Tar Heels as a defensive lineman but ended up spending his first two seasons as a backup center.^[2] He then moved to defensive tackle as a junior before switching back to center partway through his senior year.^[2]

Johnston was selected by the New York Giants in the third round, with the 73rd overall pick, of the 1985 NFL draft.^[3] He officially signed with the team on July 15.^[4] He was placed on injured reserve on August 14, 1985, and spent the entire season there.^[4] He was released by the Giants the next year on August 26, 1986, but soon re-signed on September 2.^[4] He played in four regular season games for the Giants during the 1985 season.^[3] Johnston also appeared in two playoff games that season, including the victory over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXI.^[5] He played in five games in 1987 and became a free agent after the season.^[4][3]