Name: Michael Johnson
Hometown: Selma, Alabama
Major: Business Administration
Yellow Jackets football career: Defensive end who played from 2005-2008. Named first team All-American in 2008 (AFCA), and first team All-ACC selection. Led the team in tackles-for-loss. Was team captain his senior year.
What are you doing after graduation? Entering my seventh season in the NFL and I recently signed a four-year contract with the Cincinnati Bengals after spending the 2014 season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Q: What led to your decision to come to Georgia Tech?
A: It was the opportunity to receive a great education at a prestigious school and have a chance to compete in the ACC for a program that had been to seven straight bowls at the time.

Q: Having been in the NFL for six seasons, what's it like to be back on campus taking classes?
A: It's a very different experience than when I played here. Going to class and paying attention is easier. When you're a student-athlete, you're working out in the morning, have practice in the afternoon, plus meetings — you end up being tired all the time. That was a hard thing.

Q: What advice do you have for current student-athletes?
A: Try to talk to other students and professors. Let them know your challenges, because they won't unless you communicate with them. They'll definitely respect you more if they know what else you have on your plate. 

Read more from former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket and Class of 2015 graduate Michael Johnson.