Rich Johnson (American football)

Richard Lewis Johnson (born May 13, 1947) is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Houston Oilers in the third round of the 1969 NFL/AFL draft. Johnson played college football at Illinois.

Rich Johnson
No. 38
Position:Running back
Personal information
Born: (1947-05-13) May 13, 1947 (age 77)
Canton, Illinois, U.S.
Height:6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:225 lb (102 kg)
Career information
High school:Canton (Canton, Illinois)
College:Illinois
NFL draft:1969 / round: 3 / pick: 78
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played:14
Rushing yards:42
Stats at Pro Football Reference

College career

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Johnson was a member of the Illinois Fighting Illini for four seasons, playing his final three years and starting the last two at fullback. He rushed for 768 yards and six touchdowns on 195 carries in his junior season.[1] As a senior, Johnson finished 20th in the nation with 973 rushing yards and was named second team All-Big Ten Conference and the team Most Valuable Player.[2][3] He finished his collegiate career with 2,058 rushing yards, fourth-most in school history at the time, and 11 touchdowns.[4][5]

Professional career

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Johnson was selected in the third round (78th overall) of the 1969 NFL/AFL draft by the Houston Oilers.[5] He played in all of the Oilers games during the 1969 season, rushing 11 times for 42 yards with two receptions for 17 yards and one touchdown in his lone professional season.[6]

References

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  1. ^ "Remember When: Sept. 7 in Journal Star sports history". Journal Star. September 7, 2018. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  2. ^ "Podolak and Meskimen Named All-Big 10" (PDF). The Daily Iowan. November 27, 1968. p. 3.
  3. ^ "Fighting Illini Football Record Book" (PDF). University of Illinois. 2015. p. 155. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 29, 2020. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  4. ^ "BIG GAME VAULTS FERGUSON OVER 2,000 RUSHING YARDS". fightingillini.com. September 20, 2015. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  5. ^ a b Hundley, John (January 30, 1969). "Johnson, Pleviak Drafted by Pros". The Daily Illini. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  6. ^ "Rich Johnson Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
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