As a student-athlete, Brian Johnson became only the third Southern athlete to win an indoor NCAA Division I national title when he captured the long jump crown in 2003 with a best leap of 8.28m (27-2). After overcoming an injury that ended his collegiate career prematurely, he returned to finish fourth at the U.S. Indoor Championships in 2004 and won gold with a first-place finish at the 2005 Indoor Championships. He also won U.S. titles at both the 2006 Indoor and Outdoor Championships with jumps of 7.95m (26-1) and 8.10m (26-7), respectively. From 2004 to 2010, he served as an assistant track and field coach at Southern while competing as one of the world's best long jumpers. In 2008, he finished second at the Olympic Trails in Eugene, Oregon, qualifying for the national team, and he was a member of the 2008 United States Olympic Track and Field team that competed in Beijing, China, where he finished 22nd overall. During that period, he posted a personal best of 8.33m with a second-place performance at the Fort-de-France international meet and also won a silver medal at the IAAF World Athletics Final.