By The Hamiltonian Staff
Two years ago, we put Kaleb Johnson on the cover of the October 2024 issue of The Hamiltonian in “Johnson’s Rise.” Back then, the former Big Blue standout was leading the nation in rushing at Iowa and told us exactly what he was chasing. Today, Hamilton watched him do what he’s been doing since his high school days: run the ball into the end zone…this time for the Green Bay Packers.
On Sunday, November 8, Johnson ran up the middle for a touchdown in the second quarter against the New England Patriots, his first NFL touchdown. The score pushed the Packers’ lead to 24-7, and Green Bay went on to win 45-27 in Foxborough.
And in a fitting twist, one of the big-name Cincinnati-area running backs we mentioned in our 2024 story, Roger Bacon’s Corey Kiner, found the end zone for the Patriots in the very same game.
Where It Started
Johnson rushed for 3,297 yards and 34 touchdowns during his career at Hamilton High School. Former Head Coach Nate Mahon knew early on that he had something special. Johnson was getting varsity snaps as a freshman, and by the time Mahon took over the program in 2020, his play sheet had a column titled “KJ touches” to make sure the ball found its way into his best player’s hands.
It was Mahon who pulled Johnson out of basketball practice to tell him about his first scholarship offer.
“After that, he told me that I could be great and do big things, so keep going,” Johnson told The Hamiltonian in 2024. “That’s when I knew, oh yeah, I’m making it.”
What set him apart, Mahon told us, wasn’t just talent.
“To me what set KJ apart from a lot of the other kids that already have those abilities was him always being a blank canvas,” Mahon said. “He was always taking coaching and he always listened. That doesn’t always happen with kids that are super talented.”
Living Up to the Cover
When we featured him, Johnson had big goals.
“I want to be a top-five running back in the nation,” he said early in the 2024 season. “It’s here now.”
He backed it up. Johnson finished that season with 1,537 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns, setting Iowa’s single-season records for rushing touchdowns and total scoring. He was named a consensus first-team All-American and the Big Ten Running Back of the Year, and he was a finalist for the Doak Walker Award, given to the nation’s top running back.
In April 2025, the Pittsburgh Steelers selected him in the third round (83rd overall) of the NFL Draft. Before the 2026 season, he joined the Green Bay Packers, and on Sunday he found the end zone at the highest level of the game.
Hamilton Proud
Keegan closed his 2024 cover story with this: “Kaleb Johnson has never avoided betting on himself. You shouldn’t expect him to shy away now.”
Two years later, that still holds true. From Friday nights at Virgil Schwarm Stadium to Saturdays at Kinnick Stadium to Sundays in the NFL, Kaleb Johnson’s journey is a reminder of the talent that grows right here at home.
Congratulations, Kaleb, on your first NFL touchdown. Hamilton is cheering you on!
Adapted from “Johnson’s Rise” by Keegan Nickoson, originally published in the October 2024 issue of The Hamiltonian.
Iowa photos courtesy of Iowa Hawkeyes Athletics.
