With a depleted lineup, the Cleveland Browns found an unlikely hero in D'Ernest Johnson on Thursday night. The third-string running back stepped up big in their victory over the Denver Broncos, making key plays in what was a subpar showing for both squads.

Johnson, who only had a grand total of 11 yards in the two games he's played this season, tallied an impressive 146 yards against the Broncos and also scored a touchdown. With stars Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt both out due to calf injuries, Johnson definitely took advantage of his opportunity for the Browns.

He surprised many, including Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James who praised Johnson's breakout game on Twitter.

When told by reporters about LeBron's tweet, Johnson, who's in his third season with the Browns, was absolutely on cloud nine, admitting the Lakers forward is his favorite NBA player (via ESPN).

“LeBron? Man, that's my favorite basketball player. LeBron? That's amazing. That means a lot. Wow!”

With the win, the Browns improved to 4-3. Johnson's lone touchdown gave the team a big boost in the first half. But the 25-year-old from the University of South Florida admitted he didn't know how to react when he reached the endzone.

“It’s unexplainable. I wanted to celebrate but I didn’t know what to do. It’s been a long journey.”

It's always great to see unheralded players get their chance to shine, and with his latest showing, the Browns could give Johnson more touches moving forward.