| Date of birth: | October 17, 1947 |
| Place of birth: | Detroit, Michigan |
| Career information | |
|---|---|
| Position(s): | Halfback |
| College: | Michigan |
| NFL Draft: | 1969 / Round: 1 / Pick: 20 |
| Organizations | |
| As player: | |
| 1969 1970-1975 1976 |
Cleveland Browns New York Giants Dallas Cowboys |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Pro Bowls: | 2 |
| Honors: | All-America (1968) |
| Records: | NCAA single game rushing yards (1968-1971) |
| Playing stats at NFL.com | |
| College Football Hall of Fame | |
Ronald Johnson (born October 17, 1947 in Detroit, Michigan) is a former professional American football halfback. He played football at the University of Michigan and then with the Cleveland Browns the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League.
Johnson finished sixth in the 1968 Heisman Trophy voting. He was Michigan’s top student-athlete (1966-1968)where he received the Big 10 Medal (which is awarded to the most outstanding scholar-athlete in the school) and earned All-American honors his senior year at Michigan as a halfback. He also set the school record by rushing for 347 yards against Wisconsin in 1968, a record that still stands. In fact, Johnson still owns two of the top five single-game rushing performances in school history as follows:
| Rank | Name | Attempts | Net Yds | Yds/Att | Year | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ron Johnson | 31 | 347 | 11.2 | 1968 | Wisconsin |
| 2 | Tim Biakabutuka | 37 | 313 | 8.5 | 1995 | Ohio State |
| 3 | Jon Vaughn | 32 | 288 | 9.0 | 1990 | UCLA |
| 4 | Ron Johnson | 26 | 270 | 10.4 | 1967 | Navy |
| 5 | Butch Woolfolk | 39 | 253 | 6.5 | 1981 | Michigan State |
After graduating from Michigan with a Business degree, Johnson played for seven years (1969-1975) in the NFL as a first-round draft pick of the Cleveland Browns and as an MVP running back for the New York Giants. Ron rushed for 1,000 yards in 1970 and 1972, the first two 1,000-yard seasons in Giants history. Ironically those were the only 2 winning seasons the Giants had between 1964 and 1980.
In 2006, Johnson was named the chairman of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame, becoming the organization’s fifth chairman in 59 years. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1992.
Johnson is a graduate of Michigan's Ross School of Business (1969). His brother, Alex Johnson, was a professional baseball player.
Johnson is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, the first intercollegiate Greek-letter organization established for African Americans.[1]
While with the Giants, Johnson lived in Fort Lee, New Jersey.[2]
See also
- University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor
- Lists of Michigan Wolverines football rushing leaders
- History of the New York Giants (1925-1978)
References
- ^ "Michigan Football Statistic Archive Query Page". Regents of the University of Michigan. 2003. http://stats.ath.umich.edu/football/footstart.php. Retrieved 2007-12-06.
- ^ Harvin, Al. "An Offseason Game; New Jersey Sports", The New York Times, January 12, 1973. Accessed November 16, 2008. "Some of the other Jersey residents on the team, according to Davis, are Bob Tucker, the New York Giants' tight end from Lincroft; Phil Villapiano, Oakland Raider linebacker from Ocean Township, and Ron Johnson, Giant running back, now a resident of Fort Lee."
External links
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