Stafon Johnson was a star running back at Dorsey High School in Los Angeles. He was highly recruited and chose to attend the University of Southern California (USC). At USC, Johnson emerged as the team's leading rusher in 2007 and 2008. In 2009, Johnson suffered a serious neck injury during practice when a barbell fell on his throat, crushing his vocal cords and tearing muscles. He survived but his football career was over.