D'Ernest Johnson led Immokalee to the Class 5A regional semifinals where they lost 49-34 loss to Plantation-American Heritage. Playing against a loaded Heritage squad that included future NFL players Sony Michel and Isaiah McKenzie, Johnson delivered a phenomenal performance. He ran for 143 yards on 22 carries and a touchdown and added an electrifying 99-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter to keep the Indians' hopes alive.
College career
Johnson played four years at South Florida, where he rushed 421 times for 1,796 yards and 16 touchdowns. He finished as USF's career leader in all-purpose yards, receptions by a running back, and receiving yards by a running back. He also excelled at returning kicks. Johnson spent three of his four years behind Marlon Mack. Johnson saw limited playing time as a true freshman, then earned a bigger role as a sophomore, scoring five touchdowns on 653 yards from scrimmage and averaging nearly 27 yards per kickoff return. Johnson earned second team American Athletic Conference honors as a returner in 2016, averaging 28.9 yards per kickoff return and 11.8 yards per punt return, including one score. Johnson's return responsibilities decreased in 2018, playing a bigger role in the Bulls' run-oriented offense, as he rushed for a career high 796 yards and added nine offensive scores.
After going undrafted in the 2018 NFL Draft, Johnson was invited to the New Orleans Saints rookie minicamp but wasn’t signed. Johnson spend the rest of 2018 fishing for mahi mahi in Key West with a friend.
Johnson signed with the Orlando Apollos of the Alliance of American Football for its inaugural 2019 season. In eight games with the Apollos, he rushed for 372 yards and added 22 receptions for 220 yards.
Cleveland Browns
After the AAF ceased operations in April 2019, Johnson signed with the Cleveland Browns on May 16, 2019. After an impressive training camp, Johnson made the Browns' initial 53-man roster for the 2019 season. Johnson showed off his versatility during the preseason, leading the Browns with 86 rushing yards on 20 carries. He also added seven catches for 76 yards and a touchdown, while also proving valuable in the return game. The 5-foot-10, 208-pounder returned six kickoffs for 127 yards and 10 punts for 63 yards. He made his regular season debut with one carry for 13 yards in the Browns' 2019 season-opening loss to the Tennessee Titans.
