10 best Texas football football NFL careers

Another Longhorns stud who had a spectacular run in the NFL, predominantly with the Chiefs, was linebacker Derrick Johnson. The 15th overall pick in the first round of the Chiefs in the 2005 NFL Draft, Johnson had a stellar 13-year-run in Kansas City.

Johnson literally burst onto the scene from the very start of his NFL career. In his NFL debut in the 2005 regular season opener against the New York Jets, Johnson registered nine tackles, a forced fumble, and a sack against quarterback Chad Pennington in a convincing 20-point win for the Chiefs.

He was a stud for the Chiefs during his rookie campaign, racking up nearly 100 combined tackles, seven tackles for loss, five pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery.

Johnson remained a steady force at outside linebacker for the Chiefs throughout the 2000s and early-to-mid 2010s. He started at least a dozen games for the Chiefs in each of his first four seasons in the NFL. An injury during the 2009 season ended that streak, though.

In the early 2010s, Johnson really took his game up a notch to become one of the best linebackers in the NFL. Between 2011 and 2015, Johnson registered over 100 combined tackles in all but one season. He was also an All-Pro selection twice and a Pro Bowler four times during that span of seasons.

Johnson finished his career after the 2018 campaign when he played one season with the Oakland Raiders.

The longevity Johnson displayed during a 14-year-long NFL career, with a bevy of accomplishments, is outstanding. He is one of only two Longhorns with a dozen years as a starter in the NFL, along with multiple All-Pro nods and Pro Bowl selections.