David "Kosse" Johnson (July 13, 1932 – September 3, 1996) was an American football player. He played college football for Rice, led the Southwest Conference in rushing and scoring in 1953, and was selected as a first-team back on the 1953 All-America college football team.
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born: | July 13, 1932 Kosse, Texas, U.S. |
| Died: | September 3, 1996 (aged 64) San Antonio, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| College: | Rice |
| Position: | Fullback |
| NFL draft: | 1954 / round: 14 / pick: 159 |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Early year
editJohnson was born in 1932 in Kosse, Texas. He moved with his family to Baytown, Texas, in 1942.[1] He played football at Baytown Junior High School and Robert E. Lee High School in Baytown.[2][3]
Rice University
editHe played college football at the fullback position for the Rice Owls football team from 1950 to 1953. He became Rice's second-leading career rusher with 1,907 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns.[4] In the fall of 1953, he led the Southwest Conference in both rushing yards (944) and scoring (62 points) during the regular season.[5] He was also rated as a great punter and played at the linebacker position on defense.[4] He was selected by the Associated Press, the Football Writers Association of America, and Look magazine as a first-team player on their respective 1953 College Football All-America Teams.[5][6][7]
Family and later years
editJohnson married Barbara Sue Bradbury in February 1953 while still a student at Rice.[1] He later worked as a high school football coach in Texas. He was inducted into the Rice Athletic Hall of Fame in 1972.[4]
Johnson died in 1996 at age 64 in San Antonio due to complication from cancer.[4]
References
edit- ^ a b "Kosse's Mother Real All-America Too!". the Baytown Sun. December 1, 1953. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Kosse 'All America Gosslin' In Junior High". The Baytown Sun. December 1, 1953. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Dan Stallworth Happy At Another High Gander Honor". The Baytown Sun. December 1, 1953. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d "Former Rice All-America Dead at 64". Associated Press. September 5, 1996.
- ^ a b "Baytown Salutes Kosse Johnsson -- All American: Rice Star Going To New York For Honor". The Baytown Sun. December 1, 1953. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Ted Smits (December 4, 1953). "Cavazos Is Named To'AP's Second All-American Team: Rice Star On First Team". Morning Avalanche. Lubbock, TX.
- ^ "FWAA All America" (PDF). Football Writers Association of America. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 26, 2009. Retrieved April 19, 2009.