LeShon Johnson facts for kids
| No. 42, 32, 23 | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | January 15, 1971 Haskell, Oklahoma, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 205 lb (93 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Haskell | ||||||||||||
| College: | Northern Illinois | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1994 / Round: 3 / Pick: 84 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
LeShon Eugene Johnson (born January 15, 1971) is a former American football player. He was a talented running back and kick returner. LeShon played in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons during the 1990s.
He played college football for the Northern Illinois Huskies. In 1993, he earned special honors as an All-American. The Green Bay Packers chose him in the third round of the 1994 NFL draft. He also played for the Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants in the NFL. Later, he played for the Chicago Enforcers in the XFL (2001).
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LeShon Johnson's Early Life and Nickname
LeShon Johnson was born in Haskell, Oklahoma. He grew up to be a fantastic high school running back. He played for Haskell High School.
Beyond football, Johnson was also a bull rider! He competed on the junior rodeo circuit. This unique skill earned him the nickname "Cowboy." This nickname stayed with him throughout his football career.
College Football Career Highlights
Johnson started his college journey at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College. He then moved to Northern Illinois University as a junior. There, he joined the Northern Illinois Huskies football team. He played for them in 1992 and 1993.
In 1993, as a senior, Johnson was the top college rusher. He gained an amazing 1,976 yards on 327 carries. This meant he averaged 179.6 yards per game. He even finished sixth in the 1993 Heisman Trophy voting. The Heisman Trophy is a very important award for college football players. Even though he only played two years for the Huskies, his total of 3,314 rushing yards still ranks him fifth on the team's all-time list.
LeShon Johnson's Professional Football Journey
The Green Bay Packers picked LeShon Johnson in the third round of the 1994 NFL draft. He was the 84th player chosen overall. He played for the Packers in 1994 and 1995.
From 1995 to 1997, he played for the Arizona Cardinals. He had his best game with the Cardinals on September 22, 1996. In that game against the New Orleans Saints, he rushed for 214 yards on 21 carries.
In 1998, Johnson faced a health challenge that interrupted his career. However, he made an amazing comeback! He became a starter for the New York Giants in 1999. His football career ended playing in the XFL for the Chicago Enforcers.
See also
- List of college football yearly rushing leaders
