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LeShon Eugene Johnson (born January 15, 1971) is an American former professional football player who was a running back and kick returner in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons during the 1990s. He played college football for the Northern Illinois Huskies, and earning consensus All-American honors in 1993. He was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the third round of the 1994 NFL draft. He also played professionally for the Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants of the NFL and the Chicago Enforcers of the XFL (2001).

Early life

Johnson was born in Haskell, Oklahoma. He was a standout high school running back at Haskell High School. Johnson was a bull rider on the junior rodeo circuit, earning the nickname the "Cowboy," which followed him throughout his football career.

College career

Johnson attended Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College, before transferring to Northern Illinois University as a junior. At Northern Illinois, he played for the Northern Illinois Huskies football team in 1992 and 1993. As a senior in 1993, Johnson was the leading college rusher with 1,976 yards on 327 carries for an average of 179.6 yards per game. Johnson finished sixth in the 1993 Heisman Trophy voting race, with five first-place votes. He played only two years for the Huskies, but his total yards mark of 3,314 still places him fifth on the team's all-time rushing list.

Professional career

The Green Bay Packers selected Johnson in the third round (84th pick overall) of the 1994 NFL draft. He played for the Packers in 1994 and 1995). From 1995 to 1997, he was a member of the Arizona Cardinals. In Johnson's career-best game, he rushed for 214 yards on 21 carries for the Cardinals versus the New Orleans Saints on September 22, 1996. His career was interrupted by lymphoma cancer in 1998. He managed to make a comeback and subsequently started for the New York Giants in 1999. His football career ended playing in the XFL for the Chicago Enforcers.

Life after football

Johnson pleaded guilty in 2005 to the crime of dog fighting in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma. He received a five-year deferred sentence.

See also

• List of college football yearly rushing leaders

References

1. ^ National Football League, Historical Players, LeShon Johnson. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
2. databaseFootball.com, Players, LeShon Johnson Archived 2012-01-21 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
3. "1994 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
4. ^ Pro-Football-Reference.com, Players, LeShon Johnson. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
5. Rob Walton, "Okmulgee Prosecutor Responds to Activists," Tulsa World (March 15, 2006). Retrieved February 9, 2012.
6. George Dohrmann, "The House on Moonlight Road," Sports Illustrated (May 29, 2007). Retrieved February 9, 2012.

• 1971 births
• Living people
• American football running backs
• Arizona Cardinals players
• Chicago Enforcers players
• Green Bay Packers players
• New York Giants players
• Northeastern Oklahoma A&M Golden Norsemen football players
• Northern Illinois Huskies football players
• All-American college football players
• People from Haskell, Oklahoma
• Players of American football from Oklahoma
• 20th-century African-American sportsmen
• 21st-century African-American sportsmen