Another Legend Lost - John Henry Johnson RIP

PowderedH2O

HOF running back John Henry Johnson passed away on Friday at the age of 81. It's been a very tough year so far for HOFers in football and baseball.

rbdjr1

RIP

JOHN HENRY JOHNSON (credits: www.profootballhof.com)

Class of 1987
Fullback >>> 6-2, 210
(St. Mary's, Arizona State)
1954-1956 San Francisco 49ers, 1957-1959 Detroit Lions, 1960-1965 Pittsburgh Steelers, 1966 Houston Oilers
John Henry Johnson ... Steelers' No. 2 draft pick, 1953 ... Joined 49ers in 1954 after year in Canada. . .Completed "Million Dollar Backfield" with McElhenny, Perry, Tittle in San Francisco ... Powerful runner, superior blocker ... Had best years in Pittsburgh, surpassing 1,000 yards rushing in 1962, 1964 ... Career stats: 6,803 yards, 48 touchdowns rushing; 186 receptions for 1,478 yards, 7 TDs ... Born November 24, 1929, in Waterproof, Louisiana ... Died June 3, 2011, at age of 81.



John Henry Johnson, a 6-2, 210-pound workhorse running back, spent 12 years in the National Football League with the San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers and a 13th season in the American Football League with the Houston Oilers.

When he retired after the 1966 season, his 6,803 career rushing yards ranked him behind only Jim Brown, Jim Taylor, and Joe Perry as the top ground gainers of all time. Johnson also was an excellent pass receiver with 186 receptions for 1,478 yards. He scored 330 points on 55 touchdowns in his career.

A standout collegian at St. Mary's until that school discontinued football and then at Arizona State, John Henry was a 1953 second-round draft pick of the Steelers. He first opted to play in Canada but after one season at Calgary, he returned to the United States to start his NFL career with the 49ers. He was an immediate sensation, finishing second in the league in rushing with 681 yards and a 5.3-yard average.

For the next two years, he was an integral part of the "Million Dollar Backfield” that included future Hall of Famers Hugh McElhenny, Y. A. Tittle, and Perry. Johnson was traded to Detroit in 1957 and then to Pittsburgh in 1960.

It was with the Steelers that John Henry enjoyed his finest seasons. In both 1962 and 1964, he broke the 1,000-yard rushing barrier, the first Steeler to achieve that lofty level. It was with the Lions, however, that he participated in his only NFL title game, the 1957 contest that saw Detroit overwhelm the Cleveland Browns, 59-14. Johnson was a key figure in the Lions’ title drive that year and wound up as the club's leading rusher with 621 yards. Johnson was selected to play in the 1955, 1963, 1964, and 1965 Pro Bowl Games.

nice rookie card is on fee-bay right now!

YogiBerraFan

Brick

RIP

mlbfan2

RIP. I thought this thread was going to be about this guy.
link

I hadn't heard of the football player, so I was wondering why "legend" was in the thread title.

mexpo75

Wow it does sure seem that there have been far too many of these sort of threads this year.

TheTalkingWalnut

I'm with mlbfan - I thought that name sounded familiar. I guess that John Henry Johnson is still hanging with Enzo Hernandez and Tito Fuentes somewhere. RIP to the football guy though...