Randy Johnson (American football)
Encyclopedia
Randolph Klaus "Randy" Johnson (June 17, 1944 – September 17, 2009) was an American football
player. He was the starting quarterback
for the Atlanta Falcons
in their inaugural season of 1966. In 1974 he played with The Hawaiians
of the World Football League
.
Johnson graduated from Sam Houston High School in San Antonio, Texas
in 1962. He attended Texas A&I (now Texas A&M–Kingsville).
He entered the 1966 NFL Draft
, and became the first Texas A&I player to be drafted in the first round. Over his professional career, he threw 647 of 1,286 passes (a 50.3-percentage) for 51 touchdowns and 90 interceptions.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player. He was the starting quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in their inaugural season of 1966. In 1974 he played with The Hawaiians
The Hawaiians
The Hawaiians were a professional American football team based out of Honolulu that played in the World Football League. They played two seasons, 1974 and 1975. Their records were 9-11 in 1974 and 4-7-1 in 1975. Their home stadium was Honolulu Stadium in 1974 and Aloha Stadium in 1975...
of the World Football League
World Football League
The World Football League was a short-lived gridiron football league that played in 1974 and part of 1975. Although the league's proclaimed ambition was to bring American football onto a worldwide stage, the farthest the WFL reached was placing a team – the Hawaiians – in Honolulu, Hawaii. The...
.
Johnson graduated from Sam Houston High School in San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
in 1962. He attended Texas A&I (now Texas A&M–Kingsville).
He entered the 1966 NFL Draft
1966 NFL Draft
The 1966 National Football League Draft was held on November 27, 1965. It was the last draft in which the NFL and the AFL drafted their players separate of one another. As a result, many players selected by teams from both leagues would choose to play for the more established NFL, or in a rarer...
, and became the first Texas A&I player to be drafted in the first round. Over his professional career, he threw 647 of 1,286 passes (a 50.3-percentage) for 51 touchdowns and 90 interceptions.
External links
- Obituary
- Gallery of Randy Johnson's football cards
- Recovering a fumbled life: Retired NFL quarterback finds refuge at homeless mission Charlotte Sun newspaper, Port Charlotte, Florida September 25, 2009, republishing of a 1999 article, in print and online. Photos and many details of his life.
- http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091008/SPORTS/910080324 Citizen-Times newspaper, Asheville, NC October 8, 2009, discusses his living and dying penniless in Brevard, NC.