Andy Johnson (American football)

Last updated

Andy Johnson
No. 32
Position: Running back
Personal information
Born:(1952-10-18)October 18, 1952
Athens, Georgia, U.S.
Died:May 16, 2018(2018-05-16) (aged 65)
Athens, Georgia, U.S.
Height:6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:204 lb (93 kg)
Career information
College: Georgia
NFL draft: 1974  / Round: 5 / Pick: 112
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Rushing attempts:491
Rushing yards:2,017
Receptions:161
Receiving yards:1,807
Total TDs:22
Player stats at PFR

Anderson Sidney Johnson (October 18, 1952 – May 16, 2018) was an American professional football player who was a running back for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL) during the 1970s and 80s. He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs. He was selected in the fifth round of the 1974 NFL draft.

Contents

Education

He was a 1970 graduate of Athens High School, now Clarke Central High School, in Athens, Georgia, where he played quarterback. He then attended the University of Georgia.

Sports career

Johnson earned Georgia football and baseball letters in 1971, 1972, & 1973. He played quarterback as a sophomore, leading the Bulldogs to an 11–1 record, passing for 341 yards and rushing for 870 yards. In 1973, he passed for 506 yards for the season. He had 431 rush attempts for 1799 yards during his Georgia career becoming one of the top five SEC rushing quarterbacks for a career. He played shortstop for the Georgia baseball team.

He was drafted by the New England Patriots in 1974 in the 5th round of the NFL Draft, pick 112 overall. He played running back with the Patriots from 1974 to 1981. Johnson's best season was in 1976 when he scored 10 total touchdowns and had 1,042 combined yards of rushing and receiving while the Patriots finished 2nd in the AFC East which was good enough for a playoff spot. In his game against the Raiders in the Divisional round, he rushed for 32 yards on 14 carries with one touchdown, though they lost the game 24-21 amid dubious penalty calling. His productivity declined after the 1978 season, a season in which he was one of four players on the team who rushed for over 500 yards (Sam Cunningham, Horace Ivory and quarterback Steve Grogan). Over the next four seasons, he rushed for only 159 yards combined. He played one season with the Boston Breakers of the USFL before retiring. He was named to the New England Patriots All-1970s Team in 2009.

He was a 1996 inductee into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame and 2000 inductee into the Athens Athletic Hall of Fame. He was vice-president of the Georgia Lettermen's Club.

Death

Johnson died on May 16, 2018, age 65, from a lengthy undisclosed illness. He is survived by his wife Charlotte and their three children. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doug Flutie</span> American football player (born 1962)

Douglas Richard Flutie is an American former football quarterback who played professionally for 21 seasons. He played 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), eight seasons in the Canadian Football League (CFL), and one season in the United States Football League (USFL). Flutie played college football for the Boston College Eagles, winning the Heisman Trophy in 1984 amid a season that saw him throw the game-winning touchdown pass in the final seconds against the Miami Hurricanes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fran Tarkenton</span> American football player (born 1940)

Francis Asbury Tarkenton, nicknamed "the Scrambler", is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons, primarily with the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs, where he was recognized as a twice first-team All-SEC, and was selected by the Vikings in the third round of the 1961 NFL draft. After retiring from football, he became a media personality and computer software executive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fred Taylor (American football)</span> American football player (born 1976)

Frederick Antwon Taylor is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. He played college football for the Florida Gators and was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars ninth overall in the 1998 NFL draft. Taylor played for the Jaguars and New England Patriots and a member of the 10,000 yard rushing club. He is a co-host of The Pivot Podcast with friends, Channing Crowder and Ryan Clark.

LaVonya Quintelle "Quincy" Carter is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs and was selected in the second round of the 2001 NFL draft. Carter played in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets. Outside the NFL, he also was a member of the Bossier–Shreveport Battle Wings, Kansas City Brigade and Abilene Ruff Riders. Additionally, from 1996 to 1999, he was in the Chicago Cubs minor league baseball organization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Babe Parilli</span> American gridiron football player (1930–2017)

Vito "Babe" Parilli was an American football quarterback and coach who played professionally for 18 seasons. Parilli spent five seasons in the National Football League (NFL), three in the Canadian Football League (CFL), and 10 in the American Football League (AFL). He played college football at the University of Kentucky, where he twice received consensus All-American honors and won two consecutive bowl games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Champ Bailey</span> American football player (born 1978)

Roland "Champ" Bailey Jr. is an American former football cornerback who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs, where he earned consensus All-American honors, and was selected by the Washington Redskins in the first round of the 1999 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Grogan</span> American football player (born 1953)

Steven James Grogan is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for sixteen seasons with the New England Patriots. He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats and was selected by the Patriots in the fifth round of the 1975 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Faulk</span> American football player and coach (born 1976)

Kevin Troy Faulk is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons with the New England Patriots. He played college football for the LSU Tigers, receiving first-team All-American honors, and was selected in the second round of the 1999 NFL draft by the Patriots. Faulk held a variety of offensive and special teams roles during his career and contributed to the franchise's first three Super Bowl titles. For his accomplishments in New England, he was inducted to the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2016. After retiring from the NFL, Faulk returned to LSU as a coach from 2018 to 2021. He was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Greene (American football)</span> American football player (born 1982)

David Norman Greene is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs. Green was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round of the 2005 NFL draft. He was also a member of the New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs, and Indianapolis Colts. He retired following the 2008 season, having never played in a regular season game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charley Trippi</span> American football player (1921–2022)

Charles Louis Trippi was an American professional football player for the Chicago Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL) from 1947 to 1955. Although primarily a halfback, his versatility allowed him to fill a multitude of roles over his career, including quarterback, safety, punter, and return specialist. A "quintuple-threat", Trippi was adept at running, catching, passing, punting, and defense.

Robert Lee Edwards, III is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs and was selected by the New England Patriots in the first round of the 1998 NFL draft with the 18th overall pick. Edwards also played in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins before moving to the CFL with the Montreal Alouettes and ending his career with the Toronto Argonauts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Cunningham</span> American football player (1950–2021)

Samuel Lewis Cunningham Jr, nicknamed "Bam", was an American professional football player who was a fullback for 10 seasons with the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the USC Trojans, where he earned first-team All-American honors and was the MVP of the 1973 Rose Bowl.

Lars Jamel Tate was an American professional football player who was a running back for three seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted in the second round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and played for the Bucs and Chicago Bears from 1988 to 1990, having earlier played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs.

Raymond DeWayne Clayborn is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback for the New England Patriots from 1977 to 1989 and the Cleveland Browns from 1990 to 1991 of the National Football League (NFL). A three-time Pro Bowl and five-time All-Pro selection, he was the Patriots' starting cornerback in Super Bowl XX. Prior to the that he was an All-American defensive back and a running back/returner at the University of Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knowshon Moreno</span> American football player (born 1987)

Knowshon Rockwell Moreno is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs, earning first-team All-American honors in 2008. He was selected with the 12th overall pick in the 2009 NFL draft by the Denver Broncos. He also played for the Miami Dolphins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cordarrelle Patterson</span> American football player (born 1991)

Cordarrelle Patterson, nicknamed "Flash", is an American football running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). A versatile utility player, he plays running back, wide receiver, return specialist, and occasionally on defense. Patterson played college football for the Hutchinson Blue Dragons before transferring to the Tennessee Volunteers, where he earned first-team All-SEC honors. He was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 2013 NFL draft. He has also been a member of the Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Chicago Bears, and the Atlanta Falcons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sony Michel</span> American football player (born 1995)

Sony Michel is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for five seasons. He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs and was selected by the New England Patriots in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft. During his first three seasons with the Patriots, he was a member of the team that won Super Bowl LIII. Michel spent his next season with Los Angeles Rams in 2021, winning Super Bowl LVI, and his final season with the Los Angeles Chargers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isaiah McKenzie</span> American football player (born 1995)

Isaiah McKenzie is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Georgia, and was selected by the Denver Broncos in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justin Fields</span> American football player (born 1999)

Justin Skyler Fields is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). Following a stint with the Georgia Bulldogs, he played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes, where he was twice named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and appeared in the 2021 National Championship Game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Cook (running back)</span> American football player (born 1999)

James Dalvin Cook is an American football running back for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Georgia and was selected by the Bills in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft.

References

  1. "Former UGA football great Andy Johnson dies". Gwinnett Daily Post . May 16, 2018. Retrieved May 16, 2018.