Johnny Johnson (American football)

Johnny Johnson, Jr. (born June 11, 1968) is a retired American football running back who played in the National Football League for the New York Jets and the Phoenix Cardinals between 1990 and 1994.

Johnny Johnson

No. 39
Position:	Running back
Personal information
Born:	June 11, 1968 Santa Clara, California
Height:	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:	220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High school:	Santa Cruz (CA)
College:	San Jose State
NFL Draft:	1990 / Round: 7 / Pick: 169
Career history
Phoenix Cardinals (1990–1992) New York Jets (1993–1994) San Francisco 49ers (1996)*
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
Pro Bowl (1990)
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards: 4,078 Average: 3.9 Rushing TDs: 21 Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at PFR

High school and college

He prepped at Santa Cruz High School.[1] Johnson attended and graduated from San Jose State University. For the San Jose State Spartans basketball team, Johnson played 12 games as a basketball player after most team members walked off and refused to play under coach Bill Berry. With 1,219 yards rushing and 61 catches in receiving, Johnson was considered among the top 20 college football players in the United States in 1988.[2] After five games into his senior season, Johnson was dismissed from the team for missing practices and team meetings. Johnson's reasoning for missing practices was to help take care of his mother in the aftermath of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, but because telephone lines were down across the area, there wasn't much of a way for Johnson to communicate to his head coach Claude Gilbert. Gilbert however claimed that Johnson had already skipped 2 o'clock practice anyway to attend game 3 of the 1989 World Series.[3] Nevertheless, his dismissal from the Spartans football program dropped Johnson's draft stock all the way to the 169th pick in the 1990 NFL Draft by the Phoenix Cardinals.

Professional career

Johnson played in the 1991 Pro Bowl. After playing for three seasons for the Cardinals, he was traded during the 1993 NFL Draft to the New York Jets, in exchange for the Cardinals moving from the number 4 pick in the draft to the Jets' number 3 draft position. The Cardinals badly wanted Garrison Hearst, who also played running back, so the Cardinals were willing to part with Johnson just to move up one draft spot.[4]

After arriving on the Jets, Johnny Johnson was named Jets team MVP in 1993 in a vote by his teammates. Johnson finished the season ranked second in the AFC in total yards from scrimmage. He was one of only two backs to lead his team in rushing and receptions.

He became a free agent in 1995, and the Jets made him available for the expansion draft that year.[5] Johnson considered signing with the San Francisco 49ers.[1] In April 1996, Johnson signed a two-year, $3-million contract with the 49ers; consequently, the 49ers waived Dennis Brown to make salary cap room for Johnson.[6]

NFL career statistics

Year	Team	GP	Att	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Rec	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD
1990	PHO	14	234	926	4.0	41	5	25	241	9.6	35	0
1991	PHO	15	196	666	3.4	21	4	29	225	7.8	51	2
1992	PHO	12	178	734	4.1	42	6	14	103	7.4	26	0
1993	NYJ	15	198	821	4.1	57	3	67	641	9.6	48	1
1994	NYJ	16	240	931	3.9	90	3	42	303	7.2	24	2
Career		72	1,046	4,078	3.9	90	21	177	1,513	8.5	51	5

Notes

1. Swan, Gary (November 7, 1995). "Johnny Johnson May Sign Soon". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved February 18, 2011.
2. Norwood, Robyn (August 28, 1989). "Big West Preview : Johnson, San Jose State Bulk Up for Challenge of Fresno State". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 17, 2011.
3. Litsky, Frank (October 19, 1990). "Cardinals Cashing In After Gamble in Draft". New York Times. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
4. "Jets Trade Down But Still Move Up", New York Times, April 26, 1993
5. Eskenazi, Gerald (February 16, 1995). "Risky, Yes, but Jets Get Back Their Man". The New York Times. Retrieved February 18, 2011.
6. "49ers Cut a Starter". The New York Times. Associated Press. April 3, 1996. Retrieved February 18, 2011.