Hall of Fame Running Back John Henry Johnson Was One of Football's Greatest Power Runners
 A bruising, hard-nosed fullback, John Henry Johnson enjoyed a remarkable 13-year NFL career, plus one season in the Canadian Football League, while playing for three NFL franchises. Johnson first starred at St. Mary’s College in California, earning a reputation as one of the nation’s toughest runners. When St. Mary’s unexpectedly dropped its football program, he transferred to Arizona State, where he completed his college career and further established himself as an NFL prospect.
 Selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round of the 1953 NFL Draft, Johnson instead signed with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League. John Henry Johnson had an impressive season in Calgary averaging 6 yards a carry rushing for a team-high 648 yards and 5 rushing touchdowns. In addition to running the ball, he caught 33 passes for another 365 yards and 3 touchdowns, Returned kicks and punts and even played in the defensive backfield intercepting 5 passes.
 After one season in Canada, he returned to the NFL in 1954 with the San Francisco 49ers, where he joined future Pro Football Hall of Famers Hugh McElhenny, Joe Perry, and quarterback Y.A. Tittle in the legendary “Million Dollar Backfield”—one of the most celebrated offensive backfields in NFL history. 1954 was his best as a 49er rushing for 681 yards and 9 scores earning him a spot in the Pro Bowl.
 After suffering a shoulder injury in 1956, he was traded to the Detroit Lions in 1957. He would be the Lions top runner with 621 yards while Detroit would claims the NFL Title after a blistering 59-14 win over Cleveland. In 1959, he missed a plane ride home following a loss to the 49ers and was suspended indefinitely by the Lions. The incident coincided with developing legal problems after alleged missed alimony payments to an ex-wife. John Henry Johnson found himself traded to Pittsburgh by 1960.
 At age 31 he joined former Lions Bobby Layne and Tom Tracy in Pittsburgh where he would enjoy the most productive phase of his career. In 6 seasons as a Steeler, he would earn 3 Pro Bowls and become the franchise’s first Thousand Yard rusher in 1962 with a 1141 yard effort. He would do it again in 1964 with 1048 yards. He would end his career with the Houston Oilers in 1966 and be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987.
Image Gallery of John Henry Johnson, Running Back/Receiver 1958-1968
John Henry Johnson Football Cards
John Henry Johnson All-Time Career Statistics
| Rushing | Receivng | Total Scrimmage | Fumbles | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Age | Team | # | Games | Starts | Carries | Yards | Y/A | Long | TD | Catches | Yards | Y/R | Long | TD | Touches | Y/Tch | YScm | TDs | |
| 1954* | 25 | SFO | 35 | 12 | 11 | 129 | 681 | 5.3 | 38 | 9 | 28 | 183 | 6.5 | 34 | 0 | 157 | 5.5 | 864 | 9 | 5 |
| 1955 | 26 | SFO | 35 | 7 | 3 | 19 | 69 | 3.6 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 3.0 | 11 | 0 | 21 | 3.6 | 75 | 1 | 0 |
| 1956 | 27 | SFO | 35 | 12 | 6 | 80 | 301 | 3.8 | 54 | 2 | 8 | 90 | 11.3 | 28 | 0 | 88 | 4.4 | 391 | 2 | 1 |
| 1957 | 28 | DET♚ | 35 | 12 | 10 | 129 | 621 | 4.8 | 62 | 5 | 20 | 141 | 7.1 | 16 | 0 | 149 | 5.1 | 762 | 5 | 9 |
| 1958 | 29 | DET | 35 | 9 | 8 | 56 | 254 | 4.5 | 19 | 0 | 7 | 60 | 8.6 | 18 | 0 | 63 | 5.0 | 314 | 0 | 3 |
| 1959 | 30 | DET | 35 | 10 | 2 | 82 | 270 | 3.3 | 39 | 2 | 7 | 34 | 4.9 | 18 | 1 | 89 | 3.4 | 304 | 3 | 4 |
| 1960 | 31 | PIT | 35 | 12 | 10 | 118 | 621 | 5.3 | 87♦ | 2 | 12 | 112 | 9.3 | 26 | 1 | 130 | 5.6 | 733 | 3 | 5 |
| 1961 | 32 | PIT | 35 | 14 | 12 | 213 | 787 | 3.7 | 44 | 6 | 24 | 262 | 10.9 | 51 | 1 | 237 | 4.4 | 1049 | 7 | 7 |
| 1962* | 33 | PIT | 35 | 14 | 14 | 251 | 1141 | 4.5 | 40 | 7 | 32 | 226 | 7.1 | 18 | 2 | 283 | 4.8 | 1367 | 9 | 5 |
| 1963* | 34 | PIT | 35 | 12 | 11 | 186 | 773 | 4.2 | 48 | 4 | 21 | 145 | 6.9 | 26 | 1 | 207 | 4.4 | 918 | 5 | 5 |
| 1964* | 35 | PIT | 35 | 14 | 14 | 235 | 1048 | 4.5 | 45 | 7 | 17 | 69 | 4.1 | 21 | 1 | 252 | 4.4 | 1117 | 8 | 4 |
| 1965 | 36 | PIT | 35 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 3.7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3.7 | 11 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1966 | 37 | HOU | 35 | 14 | 4 | 70 | 226 | 3.2 | 33 | 3 | 8 | 150 | 18.8 | 53 | 0 | 78 | 4.8 | 376 | 3 | 0 |
| 6 Seasons Steelers | 67 | 62 | 1006 | 4381 | 4.4 | 87 | 26 | 106 | 814 | 7.7 | 51 | 6 | 1112 | 4.7 | 5195 | 32 | 26 | |||
| 3 Seasons Lions | 31 | 20 | 267 | 1145 | 4.3 | 62 | 7 | 34 | 235 | 6.9 | 18 | 1 | 301 | 4.6 | 1380 | 8 | 16 | |||
| 3 Seasons 49ers | 31 | 20 | 228 | 1051 | 4.6 | 54 | 12 | 38 | 279 | 7.3 | 34 | 0 | 266 | 5.0 | 1330 | 12 | 6 | |||
| 1 Season Oilers | 14 | 4 | 70 | 226 | 3.2 | 33 | 3 | 8 | 150 | 18.8 | 53 | 0 | 78 | 4.8 | 376 | 3 | 0 | |||
| 13 Year NFL Career | 143 | 106 | 1571 | 6803 | 4.3 | 87 | 48 | 186 | 1478 | 7.9 | 53 | 7 | 1757 | 4.7 | 8281 | 55 | 48 | |||
| Rushing | Receiving | Scrimmage Totals | Fumbles | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Age | Team | Games | Carries | Yards | Y/A | Long | TD | Catches | Yards | Y/R | Long | TD | Touches | Y/Tch | YScm | RRTD | |
| 1957 | 28 | DET♚ | 2 | 12 | 54 | 4.5 | 19 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 16.0 | 16 | 0 | 13 | 5.4 | 70 | 0 | 1 |
| Post Season Totals | 2 | 12 | 54 | 4.5 | 19 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 16.0 | 16 | 0 | 13 | 5.4 | 70 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Season | Age | Team | Games | Att | Comp | Cmp% | Yards | Long | Y/A | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | 25 | SFO | 12 | 2 | 1 | 50.0 | 10 | 10 | 5.0 | 1 | 0 | 104.2 |
| 1960 | 31 | PIT | 12 | 1 | 1 | 100.0 | 15 | 15 | 15.0 | 1 | 0 | 158.3 |
| 1961 | 32 | PIT | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | |
| 6 Seasons Steelers | 67 | 3 | 1 | 33.3 | 15 | 15 | 5.0 | 1 | 1 | 50.7 | ||
| 3 Seasons 49ers | 31 | 2 | 1 | 50.0 | 10 | 10 | 5.0 | 1 | 0 | 104.2 | ||
| 13 Year NFL Career | 143 | 5 | 2 | 40.0 | 25 | 15 | 5.0 | 2 | 1 | 56.2 | ||
- * – Pro Bowl Selection
- ♦ – Led the League
- ♚ – NFL Champion
Some Videos of John Henry Johnson
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