Gus Johnson attended the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy. He graduated in 1985. That same year, according to the winter 1997 edition of University of Detroit Jesuit's alumni magazine, Highlights, Johnson was all-league quarterback for the school's football team, an all-league shooting guard on the basketball team, and first baseman and catcher on the baseball team. The 1984-1985 University of Detroit Jesuit yearbook also notes that Johnson was a co-captain of both the football and basketball teams and most valuable player on the latter. Johnson subsequently graduated from Howard University with a degree in political science in 1990 and was a four-year letter winner on Howard's baseball team.