Gartrell Johnson
Encyclopedia
Gartrell Godfrey Johnson, III (born June 21, 1986 in Miami, Florida
) is an American football
running back
who is currently a free agent
. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers
in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Colorado State
.
Johnson has also played for the New York Giants
and Atlanta Falcons
.
in 2003, he was Dade County's leading rusher with 1,649 yards and accounted for 18 touchdowns. For his performance, he earned all-Conference and all-State honors and also holds Miami Springs High's single-season rushing record, especially significant considering that Miami Springs was also the high school attended by Willis McGahee
.
for which he received first team All-MWC
honors. Johnson accounted for over 3,000 yards of total offense and 26 touchdowns in his college career. Johnson became the first player to lead CSU in rushing for three straight seasons since E.J. Watson (1993–95), and recorded CSU's first 1,000-yard season since Kyle Bell
in 2005. He showed an astonishing performance in the 2008 New Mexico Bowl
when he rushed for 286 yards and two touchdowns, also receiving five passes for 90 yards, he sealed the game on a 77-yard touchdown with 1:46 remaining earning Offensive MVP honors. His 375 all-purpose yards ranks second all-time in a bowl game, behind East Carolina's Chris Johnson
, who had 408 all-purpose yards; 153 in kickoff returns in the 2007 Hawaii Bowl. He was named Team’s Fum McGraw MVP as senior.
in the fourth round (134th overall) in the 2009 NFL Draft
.
(* represents NFL Combine
; **represents Colorado State Pro Day; x = did not participate)
in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL Draft
. After being inactive for the Chargers first game of the season, he was waived on September 14, 2009.
on September 15, 2009. He was waived during final cuts on September 4, 2010.
on September 21, 2010. He was waived on September 2.
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
) is an American football
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...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL Draft
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Colorado State
Colorado State Rams football
The Colorado State Rams football program, established in 1893, represents Colorado State University and is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Mountain West Conference under head coach Steve Fairchild...
.
Johnson has also played for the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and 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...
.
Early years
As a senior at Miami Springs High SchoolMiami Springs High School
Miami Springs High School is a secondary school located at 751 Dove Avenue in Miami Springs, Florida, USA; its principal is Anna L. Rodriguez. The school is part of Miami-Dade County Public School's nationally-accredited magnet program, specializing in travel and tourism, the oldest of its kind in...
in 2003, he was Dade County's leading rusher with 1,649 yards and accounted for 18 touchdowns. For his performance, he earned all-Conference and all-State honors and also holds Miami Springs High's single-season rushing record, especially significant considering that Miami Springs was also the high school attended by Willis McGahee
Willis McGahee
Willis Andrew McGahee III is an American football running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
.
College career
He ended his five-year career at CSU with an outstanding 2008 campaign2008 Colorado State Rams football team
The 2008 CSU Rams football team represents Colorado State University in the college football 2008-2009 season. They play their home games at Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium in Fort Collins, CO and were led by first year coach Steve Fairchild...
for which he received first team All-MWC
Mountain West Conference
The Mountain West Conference , popularly known as the Mountain West, is the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I FBS . The MWC officially began operations in July 1999...
honors. Johnson accounted for over 3,000 yards of total offense and 26 touchdowns in his college career. Johnson became the first player to lead CSU in rushing for three straight seasons since E.J. Watson (1993–95), and recorded CSU's first 1,000-yard season since Kyle Bell
Kyle Bell
Kyle Bell is a fullback who is currently a free agent. Kyle was born in Keenesburg, Colorado on June 16, 1985. He played fullback for the Colorado State Rams from 2004-2008...
in 2005. He showed an astonishing performance in the 2008 New Mexico Bowl
2008 New Mexico Bowl
*1st Quarter**FRES – Lonyae Miller 1 yard run , 11:46. Fresno State 7-0. Drive: 7 plays, 72 yards, 3:14.**CSU – Grant Stucker 18 yard run , 09:37. Colorado State 7-7. Drive: 4 plays, 84 yards, 2:09....
when he rushed for 286 yards and two touchdowns, also receiving five passes for 90 yards, he sealed the game on a 77-yard touchdown with 1:46 remaining earning Offensive MVP honors. His 375 all-purpose yards ranks second all-time in a bowl game, behind East Carolina's Chris Johnson
Chris Johnson (running back)
Christopher Duan Johnson is an American football running back for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League...
, who had 408 all-purpose yards; 153 in kickoff returns in the 2007 Hawaii Bowl. He was named Team’s Fum McGraw MVP as senior.
Statistics
| Rushing | Receiving | Total | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | GP | GS | Att | Yards | Avg | TD | Long | Avg/G | Rec | Yards | Avg | TD | Long | Touch | Yards | TD | Avg/G |
| 2004 (Fr.) | 1 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 6.0 | 0 | 5 | 12.0 | 1 | -2 | -2.0 | 0 | -2 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| 2005 (Fr.) | 3 | 0 | 11 | 26 | 2.4 | 0 | 7 | 8.7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 26 | 0 | 8.6 |
| 2006 (So.) | 12 | 7 | 109 | 305 | 2.8 | 6 | 15 | 25.4 | 5 | 41 | 8.2 | 0 | 13 | 114 | 346 | 6 | 28.8 |
| 2007 (Jr.) | 12 | 7 | 181 | 957 | 5.3 | 6 | 45 | 79.8 | 12 | 103 | 8.6 | 2 | 31 | 193 | 1,060 | 8 | 88.3 |
| 2008 (Sr.) | 13 | 13 | 278 | 1,476 | 5.3 | 12 | 77 | 113.5 | 32 | 295 | 9.2 | 0 | 57 | 310 | 1,771 | 12 | 136.2 |
| Totals | 41 | 27 | 581 | 2,776 | 4.8 | 24 | 77 | 67.7 | 50 | 437 | 8.7 | 2 | 57 | 631 | 3,213 | 26 | 78.4 |
Professional career
Johnson was drafted by the San Diego ChargersSan Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the fourth round (134th overall) in the 2009 NFL Draft
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
.
Pre-draft
| Pre-draft measureables | ||||||||||
| Ht | Wt | 40-yard dash 40 yard dash The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time in the 40 can have a heavy impact on his prospects in college or professional football... |
10-yd split | 20-yd split | 20 ss 20 yard shuttle The 20-yard shuttle, also simply called the short shuttle, is a test performed by American football athletes at the NFL combine. It is primarily run to evaluate the quickness and change-of-direction ability of players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting... |
3-cone 3 cone drill The 3 cone drill, or three cone drill, is a test performed by American football athletes at the NFL combine. It is primarily run to evaluate the agility, quickness and fluidity of movement of players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting... |
Vert Vertical jump A vertical jump or vertical leap is the act of raising one's center of gravity higher in the vertical plane solely with the use of one's own muscles; it is a measure of how high an individual or athlete can elevate off the ground from a standstill.-Types of vertical jump:The vertical jump is... |
Broad | BP Bench press The bench press is an exercise of the upper body. For bodybuilding purposes, it is used to stimulate the pectorals, deltoids, and triceps. While on his or her back, the person performing the bench press lowers a weight to the level of the chest, then pushes it back up until the arm is straight... |
Wonderlic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5-10¼ * | 219 lb * | 4.67 ** | 1.56 * | 2.68 * | x | x | 34" * | 9'06" * | 20 * | 12 * |
NFL Combine
The National Invitational Camp or NFL Scouting Combine, as it is more widely known, is a week-long showcase, occurring every February in Indianapolis, Indiana's Lucas Oil Stadium , where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Football League coaches, general...
; **represents Colorado State Pro Day; x = did not participate)
San Diego Chargers
Johnson was drafted by the San Diego ChargersSan Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL Draft
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
. After being inactive for the Chargers first game of the season, he was waived on September 14, 2009.
New York Giants
Johnson was claimed off waivers by the New York GiantsNew York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
on September 15, 2009. He was waived during final cuts on September 4, 2010.
Atlanta Falcons
Johnson signed with the Atlanta FalconsAtlanta 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...
on September 21, 2010. He was waived on September 2.