John Henry Johnson facts for kids
c. 1955
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| Position: | Fullback, halfback | ||||||||
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| Born: | November 24, 1929 Waterproof, Louisiana, U.S. |
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| Died: | June 3, 2011 (aged 81) Tracy, California, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 210 lb (95 kg) | ||||||||
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| High school: | Pittsburg (CA) | ||||||||
| College: | Arizona State | ||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1953 / Round: 2 / Pick: 18 | ||||||||
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Pro Football Hall of Fame
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John Henry Johnson (born November 24, 1929 – died June 3, 2011) was an American football player. He was a powerful running back known for being great at the fullback position. He was excellent at both running with the ball and blocking for his teammates.
John Henry started his professional career in Canada. He played one season with the Calgary Stampeders in the Western Interprovincial Football Union (WIFU). This league was a early version of today's Canadian Football League. After that, he joined the National Football League (NFL). He played for the San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, and Pittsburgh Steelers. His last season was in the American Football League (AFL) with the Houston Oilers. People often called him simply "John Henry," like the famous folk hero. He was a very tough and determined player who performed well throughout his career.
After playing college football at St. Mary's College and Arizona State, the Steelers picked him in the 1953 NFL Draft. He was the 18th player chosen overall. Instead, he played in Canada for a year. There, he won the Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy as the league's most valuable player. He then joined the 49ers. He was part of their famous "Million Dollar Backfield." In 1957, he was traded to the Detroit Lions. He became their top runner and helped them win the NFL championship that year.
Many thought his skills were fading, but he was traded to Pittsburgh in 1960. There, he had the best years of his career. He ran for over 1,000 yards in two seasons. He is still the oldest player to run for 1,000 yards in a season. He is also the oldest to rush for 200 or more yards in a single game, both at age 34. John Henry was chosen for the Pro Bowl four times. When he retired, he was third on the NFL's all-time rushing list. His peers especially remembered him for his amazing blocking. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987.
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Early Life and College Football
John Henry Johnson was born in Waterproof, Louisiana. This town is in northeastern Louisiana. He played high school football at Pittsburg High School in northern California.
He then played college football at Saint Mary's College of California. This college is in Moraga. Sportswriters at the time called him "one of the fastest and best players on the Pacific Coast." Saint Mary's stopped its football program after the 1950 season.
John Henry then transferred to Arizona State College in Tempe. In 1952, as a senior, he played halfback. He was known as one of the toughest runners in the country. He was also a top defensive player as a safety. He was also great at returning punts. In one two-game period, he returned four punts for touchdowns. His running skills made him a top prospect for professional football.
Professional Football Career
Playing in Canada
The Pittsburgh Steelers picked John Henry in the second round of the 1953 NFL Draft. However, he decided to play in Canada instead. He joined the Calgary Stampeders in 1953. He said Calgary offered him more money. The Steelers' owner, Art Rooney, joked that John Henry might have thought Pittsburgh was too cold.
He led the Stampeders in rushing that season. He had 648 yards on 107 carries, averaging six yards per carry. He also scored five touchdowns. John Henry also caught 33 passes for 365 yards and three more touchdowns. He returned 47 punts for 386 yards. He even had a 104-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. He was also a strong defensive player, intercepting five passes. He won the Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy as the league's most valuable player.
San Francisco 49ers Years
In 1954, the San Francisco 49ers signed John Henry as a halfback. He joined Hugh McElhenny, Y. A. Tittle, and Joe Perry. Together, they formed the 49ers' famous "Million Dollar Backfield." That year, the 49ers broke their team record for rushing yards in a season.
John Henry finished second in the league in rushing with 681 yards. Joe Perry had more yards, thanks to John Henry's blocking. John Henry scored nine touchdowns, his career high for a season. After this great year, he was invited to his first Pro Bowl. He also earned second-team All-Pro honors. For the next two seasons, his production dropped. He was traded to the Detroit Lions after the 1956 season.
Time with the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions coach Buddy Parker saw John Henry's talent as a blocker. He moved him to the fullback position. In his first season with Detroit in 1957, he led the team in rushing. He ran for 621 yards and five touchdowns. In the 1957 NFL Championship Game, the Lions beat the Cleveland Browns 59–14. John Henry carried the ball seven times for 34 yards in that game. He also caught a pass and recovered a fumble. This was the Lions' most recent NFL championship.
In 1959, John Henry was suspended by the Lions. He missed the team plane after a loss. Coach George Wilson used this to talk to the whole team about their lack of effort. John Henry was fined $1,000. After the season, he was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers for two draft picks.
Pittsburgh Steelers Years
The Pittsburgh Steelers finally got John Henry in 1960. They had drafted him eight years earlier but lost him to the Canadian league. His career got a new start in Pittsburgh. He had his most successful years there. In his first season, he rushed for 621 yards. He had a career-high 87-yard touchdown run against the Philadelphia Eagles.
He became the first Steelers player to rush for 1,000 yards in a season in 1962. He did it again in 1964. He made three straight Pro Bowl appearances. He was also a second-team All-Pro selection in 1962. As of 2017, he is still the oldest player in NFL history to run for over 1,000 yards in a season. He gained 1,048 yards in 1964, when he was 35 years old.
In a game that season against the Cleveland Browns, John Henry was 34. He carried the ball 30 times for 200 yards and scored three touchdowns. This was only the ninth 200-yard rushing game in NFL history at that time. It also made him the oldest player to reach that mark, a record he still holds. Steelers president Dan Rooney was very impressed. He said John Henry "got almost all the yardage by himself." In 1965, age and injuries limited him to just three carries for 11 yards.
Houston Oilers and Retirement
After leaving the Steelers, John Henry signed with the Houston Oilers in July 1966. The Oilers were part of the American Football League. He hoped to help the team win an AFL championship. However, the team finished last in their division with a 3–11 record. John Henry retired after the season at age 37.
He ended his NFL career with 6,803 rushing yards and 48 touchdowns. He also caught 186 passes for 1,478 yards and seven receiving touchdowns.
Playing Style and Impact
John Henry Johnson was equally good at blocking and running. He was called "the perfect NFL fullback." He was a talented runner who could run with power both inside and outside the tackles. He was also as fast as his teammates Hugh McElhenny and Joe Perry. Jim Brown, another legendary running back, called John Henry the greatest running back he had ever seen.
He was also a very skilled safety and linebacker on defense. In a 1955 preseason game, John Henry hit Chicago Cardinals halfback Charley Trippi so hard that it fractured Trippi's face. This injury almost ended Trippi's career. John Henry said, "Football was like a combat zone. I was always told that you carry the impact to the opponent. If you wait for it, the impact will be on you."
Perhaps the most famous part of John Henry's game was his blocking. He was highly praised for it. He took pride in blocking, saying, "It gave me a chance to hit all those people who hit me all the time." Quarterback Bobby Layne, who played with John Henry on both the Lions and Steelers, called him his "bodyguard." Layne said, "A quarterback hits the jackpot when he gets a combination runner-blocker like Johnson."
Honors and Legacy
When John Henry retired, he was ranked fourth on the all-time professional football rushing yards list. Only Jim Brown, Jim Taylor, and his "Million Dollar Backfield" teammate Joe Perry had more yards. As of 2016, he is fourth on the Steelers' all-time rushing yards list.
In 1987, he was chosen for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Many people felt his induction was overdue. The 49ers' "Million Dollar Backfield" is the only group of four players from the same backfield to all be in the Hall of Fame. John Henry is also a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers Legends team. This team honors the best Steelers players before 1970. He was also one of the first people inducted into the San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame in 2009.
Later Life and Health
In November 1955, while recovering from a shoulder injury, John Henry helped two women escape a burning apartment building in Oakland, California. One of the women was his pregnant wife, Barbara Johnson.
After he retired from playing, he worked for Columbia Gas and later for Warner Communications. He wanted to coach football, but the chance never came up.
John Henry Johnson passed away in 2011 at the age of 81 in Tracy, California. A few days later, it was announced that researchers at Boston University would study his brain. They were looking into head injuries in sports. His daughter hoped that donating his brain would "help with a cure."
See also
In Spanish: John Henry Johnson para niños
