Pete Johnson (American football)

Last updated

Pete Johnson
1986 Jeno's Pizza - 27 - Dan Bunz (cropped).jpg
Johnson (center) with the Bengals in Super Bowl XVI
No. 46, 42
Position: Fullback
Personal information
Born: (1954-03-02) March 2, 1954 (age 70)
Fort Valley, Georgia, U.S.
Height:6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:252 lb (114 kg)
Career information
High school: Peach County
(Fort Valley, Georgia)
College: Ohio State (1973–1976)
NFL draft: 1977  / Round: 2 / Pick: 49
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards:5,626
Rushing average:3.8
Rushing touchdowns:76
Receptions:175
Receiving yards:1,334
Receiving touchdowns:6
Player stats at PFR

Pete Johnson (born Willie James Hammock; March 2, 1954) [1] is an American former football fullback who played for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Cincinnati Bengals. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes and was selected by the Bengals in the second round of the 1977 NFL draft.

Contents

Early years

Born in Fort Valley, Georgia and raised by his great-grandparents, Johnson attended Peach County High School for three years where he played football. Upon the death of his great-grandfather, he moved to New York to live with his mother where he graduated from Long Beach High School in Long Beach, New York, playing football for his senior season. [1]

College career

Johnson played fullback for the Ohio State Buckeyes from 1973 through 1976. In 1973, starting fullback Champ Henson was injured and converted linebacker Bruce Elia was named to start in Henson's place. By the end of that season, freshman Johnson had worked his way up the depth chart. Elia returned to the linebacker corps in 1974, and Henson alongside with Johnson alternated at fullback.

Although two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin got most of the carries at tailback from 1972 to 1975, the Ohio State fullbacks still got the ball frequently and were expected to be major contributors, particularly in short-yardage situations. In 1972 the team's leading scorer was Henson, and in 1973 it was Elia. Johnson's best season was in 1975. Even though Griffin led the team with 1,450 rushing yards, Johnson still rushed for 1,059 yards and set single single season records for rushing touchdowns (25) and scoring (156 points).

One of Johnson's more notable performances was in his junior season against North Carolina. While Griffin rushed for 157 yards, Johnson rushed for 148 yards and set a school record with five touchdowns. [2] He finished his career at Ohio State with 2,308 rushing yards and a school record 58 touchdowns (also a Big Ten Conference record). His 348 points was a Buckeyes' record until surpassed by kicker Mike Nugent's 356 points 2004.

In 2000, Johnson was selected for the Buckeyes All-Century Team, and he was inducted into the Ohio State University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007, presented during halftime of the Akron game on September 8.

NFL career

A bruising runner and competent blocker, Johnson was a mainstay in the Bengals backfield. He was the team's leading rusher for all seven seasons he played for them, and scored 12 or more rushing touchdowns in three different seasons. His best season was in 1981, where he made his only Pro Bowl selection. Johnson set career highs in rushing (1,077 yards), receptions (46), receiving yards (320) and touchdowns (16), leading the team to a 12–4 record, with home field advantage for the AFC playoffs.

In the postseason, Johnson helped the team record their first ever playoff win by rushing for 45 yards, catching 3 passes for 23 yards, and scoring a touchdown in the Bengals' 28–21 divisional victory over the Buffalo Bills. In the AFC title game (known in NFL lore as the Freezer Bowl), Johnson rushed for 80 yards and a touchdown, while also catching a 14-yard reception as the team defeated the high-scoring San Diego Chargers 27–7 to earn their first Super Bowl appearance. Cincinnati lost Super Bowl XVI at the Pontiac Silverdome 26–21 to the San Francisco 49ers, who limited Johnson to just 36 rushing yards and 8 receiving yards.

In 1984, Johnson was traded to the Chargers in exchange for running back James Brooks. He left Cincinnati as their all-time leader in rushing yards (5,421), touchdowns (70), and second all-time scorer with 420 points. Johnson spent the first three games of the 1984 season with Chargers and spent the final 13 games with Miami before retiring after the season ended.

In his eight NFL seasons, Johnson rushed for 5,626 yards, caught 175 passes for 1,334 yards, and scored 82 touchdowns (76 rushing, 6 receiving); at the time of his retirement, he was sixth in NFL history in rushing touchdowns, and as of 2024, he ranks 25th. [3]

Johnson has an NFL-record three straight games with at least one receiving and one rushing touchdown. [4]

NFL career statistics

Legend
BoldCareer high
YearTeamGamesRushingReceivingFumbles
GPGSAttYdsAvgY/GLngTDRecYdsAvgLngTDFumFR
1977 CIN 1491535853.841.86545499.821011
1978 CIN 16101807624.247.6507312367.634042
1979 CIN 16132438653.654.13514241546.415161
1980 CIN 1281867474.062.3576211728.228121
1981 CIN 16162741,0773.967.33912463207.033441
1982 CIN 991566224.069.1217312678.625011
1983 CIN 1182107633.669.41614151298.618021
1984 SD 3019462.415.373273.57000
MIA 130681592.312.299–––––12
Career 110731,4895,6263.851.165761751,3347.63462110

Drug charges

In 1983, Johnson and another Bengals player testified in exchange for immunity from prosecution that they had purchased cocaine from a Cincinnati plumber, and he was suspended by the NFL for four games. In 1987, he was indicted by a federal grand jury on four cocaine-related charges—and at the time of his indictment, he was selling cars in Miami, according to The New York Times archive; he was found not guilty by a Columbus jury in February 1988.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Super Bowl XVI</span> 1982 Edition of the Super Bowl

Super Bowl XVI was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion San Francisco 49ers and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Cincinnati Bengals to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1981 season. The 49ers defeated the Bengals by the score of 26–21 to win their first Super Bowl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Super Bowl XXIII</span> 1989 Edition of the Super Bowl

Super Bowl XXIII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Cincinnati Bengals and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion San Francisco 49ers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1988 season. The 49ers defeated the Bengals 20–16, winning their third Super Bowl. The game was played on January 22, 1989, at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami. This was the first Super Bowl hosted in the Miami area in 10 years, and the first in Miami not held at the Orange Bowl.

Corey James Dillon is an American former football running back who played for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Cincinnati Bengals and New England Patriots. Dillon played college football for the Washington Huskies and was selected by the Bengals in the second round of the 1997 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archie Griffin</span> American football player (born 1954)

Archie Mason Griffin is an American former football running back who played with the Cincinnati Bengals in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes, and is the only two-time Heisman Trophy winner in NCAA history, 1974-1975, considered one of the greatest college football players of all time. Griffin won four Big Ten Conference titles with the Buckeyes and was the first player to ever start in four Rose Bowls. He was selected in the first round by the Bengals in the 1976 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rudi Johnson</span> American football player (born 1979)

Burudi Ali Johnson is an American former professional football player who was a running back for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Alstott</span> American football player (born 1973)

Michael Joseph Alstott is an American former professional football player who was a fullback in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Nicknamed "A-Train", he played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers and was selected by the Buccaneers in the second round of the 1996 NFL draft. Alstott received six Pro Bowl and three first-team All-Pro honors during his career, in addition to being part of the Buccaneers team that won the franchise's first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XXXVII. For his accomplishments in Tampa Bay, he was inducted to the Buccaneers Ring of Honor in 2015. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest fullbacks of all time. One of the NFL's YouTube channels called Alstott "the last legendary fullback".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keith Byars</span> American football player (born 1963)

Keith Alan Byars is an American sports broadcaster and former professional football player. He played as a fullback and tight end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and New York Jets. He was selected in the first round by the Eagles in the 1986 NFL draft. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Eddie Lee Brown is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cincinnati Bengals from 1985 to 1991. He played college football at the University of Miami.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lorenzo Neal</span> American football player (born 1970)

Lorenzo LaVonne Neal is an American former football fullback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for sixteen seasons. Neal played college football for the Fresno State Bulldogs and was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the fourth round of the 1993 NFL draft. A four-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time All-Pro, he was also a member of the New York Jets, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Tennessee Titans, the Cincinnati Bengals, the San Diego Chargers, the Baltimore Ravens and the Oakland Raiders. Considered one of the best blocking fullbacks in NFL history, Neal blocked for a 1,000-plus-yard running back in eleven straight seasons from 1997 to 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freezer Bowl</span> 1982 American football championship

In National Football League (NFL) lore, the Freezer Bowl was the 1981 AFC Championship Game between the San Diego Chargers and the Cincinnati Bengals. The game was played on January 10, 1982, at Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium, and televised by NBC, with announcers Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen. The game, won by the Bengals, 27–7, was played in the coldest temperature in NFL history in terms of wind chill. Air temperature was −9 °F (−23 °C), but the wind chill, factoring in a sustained wind of 27 miles per hour (43 km/h), was reported as −59 °F (−51 °C) under the calculation method then in use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Brooks (American football)</span> American football player (born 1958)

James Robert Brooks is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football played for the Auburn Tigers. He played for four teams in the NFL, earning all four of his Pro Bowl selections with the Cincinnati Bengals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Epic in Miami</span> American football playoff game in 1982

The Epic in Miami was the National Football League AFC divisional playoff game between the San Diego Chargers and Miami Dolphins that took place on January 2, 1982 in the Miami Orange Bowl. The game, won by the Chargers in overtime, 41–38, is one of the most famous in National Football League lore because of the enormity of scoring, the conditions on the field, the performances of players on both teams, and the numerous records that were set.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 Cincinnati Bengals season</span> NFL team season

The 2006 Cincinnati Bengals season was the franchise's 37th season in the National Football League (NFL), the 39th overall, and the fourth under head coach Marvin Lewis. It began with the team trying to improve on their 11–5 record in 2005, defending their AFC North Division Championship title, and progress further through the playoffs than they made in the 2005 season having lost to Pittsburgh in the 1st round after losing star quarterback Carson Palmer to injury on the second play of the game. However, the team failed to improve on their 11–5 record to finish at 8–8 and missing the playoffs just the year after they made it to the playoffs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the Cincinnati Bengals</span>

The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football franchise in the National Football League. Since starting off as an expansion franchise in the American Football League in 1968, they have appeared in three Super Bowls, but lost all three times, twice to the San Francisco 49ers and once to the Los Angeles Rams.

The 1988 Cincinnati Bengals season was the team's 21st year in professional football and its 19th with the National Football League (NFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Tolbert</span> American football player (born 1985)

William Michael Tolbert is an American former football fullback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers. Tolbert was signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He was also a member of the Carolina Panthers, where he was a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro. He signed with the Buffalo Bills in 2017 after being released by the Panthers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rex Burkhead</span> American football player (born 1990)

Rex Burkhead is a former American football running back. He played college football at Nebraska and was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL draft. After four seasons with the Bengals, Burkhead spent his next four seasons with the New England Patriots, where he appeared in consecutive Super Bowls and won Super Bowl LIII. Burkhead joined the Houston Texans in 2021, spending two seasons with them before retiring in 2024.

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

Kyle Patrick Juszczyk is an American football fullback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Harvard Crimson, and was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Mixon</span> American football player (born 1996)

Joseph Tyler Mixon is an American football running back for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). Mixon played college football at Oklahoma, where he was a first-team All-Big 12, and was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 2017 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. K. Dobbins</span> American football player (born 1998)

J'Kaylin Dobbins is an American football running back for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes and was selected by the Baltimore Ravens with the 55th pick in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft.

References

  1. 1 2 Eskenazi, Gerald (January 22, 1982). "Bengals' Pete Johnson Has Leading Role". NY Times. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  2. ↑ "Buckeyes rout UNC, Johnson scores 5". Sunday Star News. (Wilmington, North Carolina). UPI. September 28, 1975. p. 1C.
  3. ↑ "NFL Career Rushing Touchdowns Leaders Through 1984". Pro-Football-Reference.com .
  4. ↑ "Player Streak Finder". Pro-Football-Reference.com .
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.