Johnny Roland facts for kids
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| No. 23 | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||
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| Born: | May 21, 1943 Corpus Christi, Texas, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 220 lb (100 kg) | ||||||||||||
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| High school: | Roy Miller (Corpus Christi, Texas) |
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| College: | Missouri (1962, 1964–1965) | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1965 / Round: 4 / Pick: 54 | ||||||||||||
| AFL draft: | 1965 / Round: Redshirt 1 / Pick: 4 | ||||||||||||
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College Football Hall of Fame
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Johnny Earl Roland (born May 21, 1943) is a former American football player and coach. He played as a running back in the National Football League (NFL). Johnny Roland played for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1966 to 1972. He also played for the New York Giants in 1973.
Before joining the NFL, Roland played college football for the Missouri Tigers. He was recognized as an All-American in 1965. He was also a star running back for the first high school team in Texas that included players of all races to win a state championship. After his playing career, he became an assistant coach for many NFL teams. He also coached at the University of Notre Dame. Johnny Roland was honored by being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1998.
Contents
- Early Life and High School Football
- College Football Career
- Professional Playing Career
- Coaching Career
- Coaching with the Green Bay Packers (1974)
- Coaching at Notre Dame (1975)
- Coaching with the Philadelphia Eagles (1976–1978)
- Coaching with the Chicago Bears (1983–1992)
- Coaching with the New York Jets (1993–1994)
- Coaching with the St. Louis Rams (1995–1996)
- Coaching with the Arizona Cardinals (1997–2003)
- Second Time with Green Bay (2004)
- Coaching with the New Orleans Saints (2005)
- Personal Life
Early Life and High School Football
Johnny Roland was born on May 21, 1943, in Corpus Christi, Texas. He played high school football at Roy Miller High School in Corpus Christi. In 1960, he helped his team achieve an amazing 13–1 record. They won the 4A State Championship that year. This team was special because it was the first racially integrated team in Texas to win a state high school championship.
On their way to the 1960 championship, the Buccaneers won three playoff games. One of their wins was against a team led by future NFL Hall of Fame coach Jimmy Johnson. In the championship game, they beat Wichita Falls, which was one of the best high school teams in the country. Roland rushed for 103 yards in that final game. He scored a 37-yard touchdown run in their 13–6 victory. For the entire year, Roland rushed for 1,224 yards and scored 90 points.
He was named a first-team high school All-American. In 2009, he was inducted into the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame.
College Football Career
Roland played college football at the University of Missouri. In 1962, he rushed for 830 yards, which was the seventh-best total in the nation. He also scored 78 points, ranking ninth nationally. He led the Tigers in both rushing and kickoff returns. During that season, he rushed for 155 yards against Oklahoma State University. He also gained 104 yards against Iowa State University. His college coaches saw him as a very skilled player. He was good at blocking, tackling, and running. They also noted he was alert, smart, and a quick learner.
One of his most memorable games was his first varsity game. He rushed for 171 yards and scored three touchdowns. That season, Roland earned his first of three All-Big Eight Conference honors. His teammates included future NFL player Andy Russell.
Johnny Roland faced a challenge during his college years. He was suspended from the team for a semester in 1963. However, he was welcomed back in 1964. He then played as a defensive back. He helped his team achieve a 6–3–1 record. He was again chosen as an All-Big Eight Conference player. In 1964, he led the team in punt and kickoff returns. In 1965, he led the team in interceptions.
In 1965, Roland led the Tigers to an 8–2–1 record. They also won the 1966 Sugar Bowl against the Florida Gators by a score of 20–18. In that game, he even threw a touchdown pass. That season, he was named the team's captain. He was also voted a College All-American and was again on the All-Big Eight team. By becoming the captain of the 1965 team, Roland was the first African-American to be a captain for any University of Missouri athletic team.
After his senior year, Roland played in several important games. These included the Senior Bowl, the Coaches All-America Game, and the College All Star Game. The University of Missouri retired his jersey number (23). He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1998. He also joined the University of Missouri Hall of Fame in 1990. In 2012, he was recognized as a Southeastern Conference Legend.
Professional Playing Career
Johnny Roland was chosen in the fourth round of the 1965 NFL draft by the St. Louis Cardinals. He was also drafted by the New York Jets in the 1965 AFL Draft. He signed a three-year contract with the Cardinals.
Roland was named the UPI NFL Rookie of the Year in the 1966 season. He was also selected to play in the Pro Bowl in 1966 and 1967. In 1966, Roland had 1,476 all-purpose yards and scored six touchdowns. In 1967, he rushed for 876 yards and had over 1,000 total yards. He scored 10 touchdowns that year. However, he suffered a knee injury late in the season. This injury affected his future playing career. After that, he never rushed for more than 498 yards in a full season.
He played for seven seasons with the Cardinals. When he left the team, he was their leading rusher. As of 2024, he is still fourth on their all-time rushing list. After the Cardinals, he played for one season with the New York Giants in 1973. Roland played in 103 NFL games during his career. He rushed for 3,750 yards and 28 touchdowns. He also caught 153 passes for 1,430 yards and six touchdowns. He returned 49 punts for 452 yards and two touchdowns. He also returned 22 kickoffs for 444 yards.
Coaching Career
After his playing days, Johnny Roland became a successful coach.
Coaching with the Green Bay Packers (1974)
Roland's former college coach, Dan Devine, hired him to be a special assignments coach for the Green Bay Packers in 1974. While there, he helped set up some of the first computer programs used by the Packers' coaches. He also scouted college players and coached.
Coaching at Notre Dame (1975)
Roland then followed Coach Devine to the University of Notre Dame. He worked as an assistant coach there in 1975.
Coaching with the Philadelphia Eagles (1976–1978)
Roland was the running backs coach for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1976 to 1978. He worked under head coach Dick Vermeil. During his time with the Eagles, Roland coached Wilbert Montgomery. Montgomery helped lead Philadelphia to Super Bowl XV. He is also the Eagles' second all-time leading rusher, as of 2024.
Coaching with the Chicago Bears (1983–1992)
In 1983, Chicago Bears head coach Mike Ditka hired Roland. His job was to help coach running back Walter Payton. At that time, Payton was close to breaking Jim Brown's NFL rushing record. Payton broke the record in 1984. Roland also coached Payton's replacement, Neal Anderson. Anderson became the Bears' second all-time leading rusher. Roland coached in Chicago from 1983 to 1992. During his time there, the Bears led the league in rushing four times. They also finished among the top three in seven of his 11 seasons. From 1984 to 1988, Chicago rushed for 160.9 yards per game. They had a great record of 62 wins and 17 losses. They made the playoffs five years in a row and won Super Bowl XX.
Coaching with the New York Jets (1993–1994)
Roland was the running backs coach for the New York Jets from 1993 to 1994.
Coaching with the St. Louis Rams (1995–1996)
Roland joined the St. Louis Rams in 1995. He coached running back Jerome Bettis during Bettis' last year with the Rams. Bettis later played for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Coaching with the Arizona Cardinals (1997–2003)
Roland joined the Arizona Cardinals in 1997. In his final season with the Cardinals in 2003, he coached Emmitt Smith. Smith had been traded from the Dallas Cowboys. By coaching Smith, Roland became the only coach to work with the two all-time leading NFL rushers: Walter Payton and Emmitt Smith.
Second Time with Green Bay (2004)
Roland returned to the Green Bay Packers in 2004. He coached Ahman Green, who was the National Football Conference's leading rusher in 2003. Green was also the second all-time leading rusher in Packers history. Roland coached in Green Bay for only one season. He then joined the New Orleans Saints.
Coaching with the New Orleans Saints (2005)
Roland joined the New Orleans Saints in the 2005 under head coach Jim Haslett. Haslett was replaced the next season, and Roland was not kept on the coaching staff.
Personal Life
Johnny Roland lives in St. Louis. He has two sons, Johnny, Jr. and James, and one daughter, Cynnamon. He owned part of a radio station, KIRL, in St. Louis. He also owns WRBZ in Wetumpka, Alabama. Roland was inducted into the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame in 2014. In 2011, he was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.
