Son of Former NFL Star Kevin Johnson Shares Heartfelt Tribute After Father’s Tragic Death
Former NFL Player Found Dead in South LA Homeless Encampment
The son of a former NFL lineman, who was discovered dead in a South Los Angeles homeless encampment last month, is urgently seeking information to identify his father’s killer.
Branden Johnson, son of Kevin Johnson, spoke with NBC Los Angeles, revealing that his father had periodically lived on the streets despite having family members willing to offer assistance.
Kevin Johnson was found deceased in the Willowbrook neighborhood, where authorities confirmed he had been residing at the time of his death. The LA County medical examiner later classified his death as a homicide, indicating he sustained "blunt head trauma and stab wounds."
Branden Johnson described receiving a call from a family member about his father’s possible incident. "Nobody wants to get that call that your father is murdered,” he said, recalling the moment when he had to identify his father at the scene.
The circumstances surrounding his father’s death raised alarms, particularly as it may correlate with three other murders of homeless individuals in the area. "It’s devastating just to know that there’s somebody out here doing this to these people," Branden expressed.
The LA County Sheriff’s Department reported that these four murders, including Kevin Johnson’s, may be interconnected, occurring within the same neighborhood over a three-month period from October 2025 to January 2026.
Although Branden was too young to witness his father’s professional football career, he noted that Kevin’s injuries ultimately led him away from the sport. According to Branden, they maintained daily communication, and his father rarely exhibited signs of distress. “My dad wasn’t the type of person to let anybody know how he was really doing,” he explained.
Despite the tragic end to his life, Branden emphasized that his father was much more than a man living in a homeless encampment. “He was a loving man. He was a family man. He was a father, a friend, and all of the above,” he said. “He loved everyone around him and would give his shirt off his back just to make sure everybody else around him was OK.”
Branden Johnson has urged anyone with information to come forward to assist investigators in solving the case. “I’ll miss him every day until I go,” he added.
Kevin Johnson was drafted in the fourth round by the New England Patriots in 1993. Over his career, he also played for the Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders, and Philadelphia Eagles, tallying 43 tackles and seven sacks, and returning a fumble for a touchdown during his two years with the Eagles. He also spent time in the Arena Football League with teams in Orlando and Los Angeles after attending Texas Southern University.
