Larry Johnson (running back) facts for kids
Johnson in 2006
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | November 19, 1979 State College, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 235 lb (107 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | State College Area | ||||||||||||
| College: | Penn State (1998–2002) | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2003 / Round: 1 / Pick: 27 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Larry Alphonso Johnson Jr. (born November 19, 1979) is a former professional football player. He played as a running back in the National Football League (NFL). Johnson played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions. In 2002, he won the Maxwell Award and was named a unanimous All-American. He was chosen by the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the 2003 NFL draft. He also played for the Cincinnati Bengals, the Washington Redskins, and the Miami Dolphins.
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Early Life and Family
Johnson was born in State College, Pennsylvania. He is one of three children born to Christine and Larry Johnson Sr.. His father was a high school vice-principal and football coach. He also coached defensive line at Penn State University and Ohio State University. Johnson went to State College Area High School in State College, Pennsylvania. He played for the State College Little Lions high school football team.
College Football Career
Johnson attended Pennsylvania State University. He played for coach Joe Paterno's Penn State Nittany Lions football team from 1999 to 2002. In his senior year, 2002, he rushed for over 2,000 yards. He did this with fewer carries than almost any other player in the 2,000-yard club. He averaged 8.0 yards per carry during the regular season.
Johnson broke the Penn State record for rushing yards in a game three times in 2002. He gained 257 yards against Northwestern. Then he rushed for 279 yards against Illinois. He set a new record with 327 yards against Indiana. He reached the 2,000-yard mark by gaining 279 yards in the first half against Michigan State. He finished the 2002 season with 2,087 rushing yards.
After his amazing 2002 season, Johnson was named a first-team All-Big Ten player. He was also a unanimous first-team All-American. He won several awards, including the Doak Walker Award (for the best running back), the Maxwell Award (for the best college player), and the Walter Camp Award (for the top college player). He finished his college career with 2,159 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Penn State in 2002.
College Statistics
| Season | Year | GP | Rushing | Receiving | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Att | Yards | Avg | TD | Rec | Yds | TD | |||
| 1999 | Penn State | 12 | 43 | 171 | 4.0 | 1 | 4 | 74 | 1 |
| 2000 | Penn State | 12 | 75 | 358 | 4.8 | 3 | 9 | 122 | 1 |
| 2001 | Penn State | 12 | 71 | 337 | 4.7 | 2 | 11 | 136 | 2 |
| 2002 | Penn State | 12 | 271 | 2,087 | 7.7 | 20 | 41 | 349 | 3 |
| College | 48 | 460 | 2,953 | 6.4 | 26 | 65 | 681 | 7 | |
Professional Football Career
Kansas City Chiefs Years
Joining the Chiefs (2003–2004)
The Kansas City Chiefs picked Larry Johnson in the first round of the 2003 NFL draft. He was the 27th player chosen overall. The Chiefs wanted him as a backup for their star running back, Priest Holmes. At first, the head coach, Dick Vermeil, wanted to pick a defensive player instead. There were some disagreements between Johnson and Coach Vermeil early on.
Becoming a Star (2005–2006)
In the 2005 season, Priest Holmes got injured. This gave Johnson a chance to become the main running back. On November 20, he ran for a Chiefs' record of 211 rushing yards against the Houston Texans. He also scored two touchdowns in that game.
By the end of the 2005 season, Johnson had nine games in a row with over 100 rushing yards. He set a new team record with 1,750 rushing yards in one season. This was impressive because he did not start in 7 games that year. He also caught 33 passes for 343 yards. Johnson was named the Chiefs' Most Valuable Player (MVP) for 2005. He also earned a spot in the Pro Bowl.
In the 2006 season, Johnson became the Chiefs' main running back. He rushed for 1,789 yards, which was the second-highest in the league. He also set an NFL record for the most carries in a single season with 416. The Chiefs made it to the playoffs that year. Johnson was chosen for his second Pro Bowl.
Later Years with the Chiefs (2007–2009)
In 2007, Johnson signed a big new contract with the Chiefs. This made him one of the highest-paid running backs in the NFL. However, in week 9 of the 2007 regular season, he got a foot injury. This injury ended his season early. He finished with 559 yards and three touchdowns.
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In 2008, Johnson returned from his injury. He had some good games, but also faced challenges. He was suspended for some games due to violating team rules. He finished the season with 874 yards and five touchdowns.
The 2009 started slowly for Johnson. He had fewer yards per carry than other running backs. Later that season, the Chiefs suspended him for comments he made on social media. On November 9, 2009, the Chiefs decided to release him from the team. At that time, he was very close to becoming the Chiefs' all-time leading rusher.
Cincinnati Bengals (2009)
In November 2009, Johnson signed with the Cincinnati Bengals. He played as a backup to their starting running back, Cedric Benson. In one game against the Browns, Johnson rushed for 107 yards. This was his only 100-yard game that season.
Washington Redskins (2010)
Johnson signed a three-year contract with the Washington Redskins in March 2010. He played for former Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan. However, he was released by the Redskins on September 21, 2010, after playing in only two games.
Miami Dolphins (2011)
In August 2011, Johnson signed with the Miami Dolphins. He was released before the season started but was re-signed a few days later due to an injury to another player. He was released again after playing in only one game for the Dolphins.
NFL Career Statistics
| Legend | |
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| NFL record | |
| Bold | Career high |
Regular Season Stats
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Y/A | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Y/R | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2003 | KC | 6 | 0 | 20 | 85 | 4.3 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 | KC | 10 | 3 | 120 | 581 | 4.8 | 46T | 9 | 22 | 278 | 12.6 | 40 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2005 | KC | 16 | 9 | 336 | 1,750 | 5.2 | 49T | 20 | 33 | 343 | 10.4 | 36 | 1 | 5 | 4 |
| 2006 | KC | 16 | 16 | 416 | 1,789 | 4.3 | 47 | 17 | 41 | 410 | 10.0 | 78 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 2007 | KC | 8 | 8 | 158 | 559 | 3.5 | 54 | 3 | 30 | 186 | 6.2 | 30T | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2008 | KC | 12 | 12 | 193 | 874 | 4.5 | 65 | 5 | 12 | 74 | 6.2 | 20 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| 2009 | KC | 7 | 7 | 132 | 377 | 2.9 | 19 | 0 | 12 | 76 | 6.3 | 22 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| CIN | 7 | 0 | 46 | 204 | 4.4 | 27 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 1.3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2010 | WAS | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0.4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | MIA | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 85 | 55 | 1,427 | 6,223 | 4.4 | 65 | 55 | 154 | 1,373 | 8.9 | 78 | 6 | 15 | 9 | |
Postseason Stats
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Y/A | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Y/R | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2006 | KC | 1 | 1 | 13 | 32 | 2.5 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 29 | 5.8 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 1 | 1 | 13 | 32 | 2.5 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 29 | 5.8 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
NFL Records
- Most rushing attempts in a single season: 416 (2006)
Chiefs Franchise Records
- Most career rushing attempts (1,375)
- Most rushing yards in a single season: 1,789 (2006)
Personal Life
Larry Johnson has a close relationship with his father, Larry Sr.. His brother, Tony Johnson, also played football for Penn State as a wide receiver.
Johnson appeared on the cover of the PlayStation 2 game NCAA GameBreaker 2004. He was shown in his Penn State uniform. He also appeared in music videos for artists like Fantasia and Jay-Z.
Johnson has spoken about experiencing memory loss, mood swings, and headaches. He believes these might be related to his football career. He tries to manage these health concerns by spending time with his daughter and controlling his social interactions.
See also
- List of NCAA major college football yearly rushing leaders
