Tyson will start for the Griz for the fourth consecutive season. He has been ranked among the top 20 in Division I-AA in punting average the past three seasons. He had a string of 39 starts in a row broken when he was injured late last season and missed UM's playoff game against Cal Poly. Of his 175 career punts, 48 (27 percent) have been inside the opponents' 20-yard line, and 35 have gone 50 yards (29 percent) or more.

2005: He was the 17th-ranked punter in the country, averaging 41.0 yards a punt. He had season highs with 20 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line and an unprecedented 18 kicks of 50 yards or more. He was a second team All-Big Sky Conference pick .

2004: He was ranked 15th in the nation, averaging 41.4 yards per attempt, and 15 of his 56 punts (27 percent), he placed inside the opponents' 25-yard line.
2003

As a true freshman he earned honorable mention All-Big Sky honors and was ranked 15th in I-AA, averaging 42.4 yards on 56 punts.  Big things were expected from Tyson as a true freshman at Montana, and he delivered, earning honorable mention All-Big Sky Conference honors. He is the second-leading returning punter in the league this season, and he was ranked fourth in the conference and 15th in Division I-AA in 2003, averaging 42.36 yards on 56 punts. He had nine punts over 50 yards, and 13 (23 percent) of his kicks were inside the opponents’ 20-yard line.

High School: Johnson earned nine letters at Stevensville High School: three in football, three in basketball, and three in golf.

As a senior he was a first team all-state pick in football at free safety, at punter and at kicker, and an all-state at punter/kicker as a junior. He participated in Montana's Annual East-West Shrine Game. His high school football coach was former (1981-84) Griz quarterback Bobby Connors.

He was a three-time all-conference selection in football, basketball, and golf. He was a three-time all-state pick in golf.

Personal: He is a business major.

Birth date: November 29, 1984. Tyson's parents are Cory and Tammy Johnson of Stevensville. He had a 3.8 GPA in high school.

Career Highs: He had nine punts for 363 yards vs. Cal Poly, 2003. Long punt: 67 yards vs. at Montana State, 2005, and vs. Idaho State, 2004.

He had four punts of 60 yards or more last year, including a 66-yarder at Idaho State. He had a four-yard touchdown run in the regular-season game against Cal Poly last season.

Quoting Coach Bobby Hauck: "Tyson's a good athlete at our punter's spot. When he is hitting the ball cleanly, he provides us a weapon to change field position and helps us control field position, which in any kind of tight ball game is imperative. We want him to have a consistent season and not have any peaks or valleys. Certainly, his off-season work has shown us that he has the potential to be consistent in this, his senior year."

“You’re always nervous playing a true freshman at any position, and Tyson came through for us last year. We were sixth in the nation in net punting (37.71 average), and a large part of that is attributed to how well he hit the ball last year. He had a very good off-season, and we look for him to continue his development. We expect him to have a big year for us.”