About Jer'Zhan Newton

Jer'Zhan "Johnny" Newton (jer-ZAHN; born August 31, 2002) is an American professional football defensive tackle for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Illinois Fighting Illini, where he was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and earned consensus All-American honors in 2023. Newton was selected by the Commanders in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft.

Early life
Newton was born on August 31, 2002, in St. Petersburg, Florida. He attended and played football at Clearwater Central Catholic High School in Clearwater, Florida, where he recorded 244 tackles and 24 sacks. He originally committed to play college football for the Maryland Terrapins before switching to the Illinois Fighting Illini at the University of Illinois.