Johnny Roland
Encyclopedia
Johnny Earl Roland is a former American football
running back
in the National Football League
for the St. Louis Cardinals
and New York Giants
.
at Roy Miller High School
in Corpus Christi, Texas
and led the team to a 13-1 record and the 4A State Championship.
at the University of Missouri
. In 1962, he rushed for 830 yards, seventh best total in the nation, and scored 78 points, ninth in the nation. This rushing total included 155 yards against Oklahoma State University and 104 against Iowa State University
. One of his most notable games that season was his first varsity game, where he rushed for 171 yards and three touchdowns. That season, Roland earned his first All-Big Eight Conference
honor.
Thought to have stolen a pair of tires, Roland was forced to leave the team and the school during the 1963 season and worked that year in Kansas City
. He was welcomed back to the team in 1964 and was moved to the defensive back
position. He led his team to a 6-3-1 record and was again chosen as an All-Big Eight player. In 1965, Roland led the Tigers to a 8-2-1 record and a victory in the 1966 Sugar Bowl
over the University of Florida
, 20-18. That season, he was named the team's captain, was voted a College All-America
n, and again was on the All-Big Eight team. By being named the captain of the 1965 team, Roland was the first African-American to serve as the captain for any University of Missouri athletic team.
Roland had his jersey retired (#23) by Missouri and was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame
in 2005.
in the fourth round of the 1965 NFL Draft
by the St. Louis Cardinals
and was named UPI NFL-NFC Rookie of the Year
in 1966
. He played for seven seasons with the Cardinals, and he became the franchise's leading rusher (since broken). He then went on to play for one season with the New York Giants
. Roland played in 103 NFL games, during which he rushed for 3,750 yards and 28 touchdowns on 1,015 attempts, caught 153 passes for 1,430 yards and six touchdowns, returned 49 punts for 452 yards with two touchdowns, returned 22 kickoffs for 444 yards, and completed five of 13 passes for 130 yards and one touchdown.
, hired Roland to be the Green Bay Packers
special assignments coach in 1974
. While there, he coordinated some of the first computer programs used by Packers coaches, as well as scouting college talent and coaching.
, where he was an assistant coach in 1975.
s coach for the Philadelphia Eagles
from 1976
to 1978
under head coach Dick Vermeil
. During his time there, Roland coached Wilbert Montgomery
, who helped lead Philadelphia to Super Bowl XV
and remains the Eagles' all-time leading rusher.
head coach Mike Ditka
in 1983
to help coach running back Walter Payton
, who at the time stood 2,108 yards from Jim Brown
's NFL rushing record and then broke the mark in 1984
. Roland also coached Payton's successor Neal Anderson
, whom Roland coached into the Bears' second all-time leading rusher. The Bears during Roland's tenure led the league in rushing four times, and finished among the top three in seven of his 11 seasons. From 1984 to 1988
, Chicago rushed for 160.9 yards per game, went 62-17 (.785), made the playoffs five straight years and won Super Bowl XX
.
from 1993
to 1994
.
in 1995
and coached running back Jerome Bettis
during Bettis' last year with the Rams before playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers
.
in 1997
. During his final season with the Cardinals in 2003
, he coached Emmitt Smith
who was traded by the Dallas Cowboys
in the offseason. By coaching Smith, Roland became the only coach to work with the two all-time leading NFL rushers (Payton and Smith).
as the coach for Ahman Green
, who was the NFC's
leading rusher in 2003
and second all-time rusher in franchise history.
Roland coached in Green Bay for only one season before being hired by the New Orleans Saints
. He left the Packers because he reportedly had differences with head coach Mike Sherman
and the Packers had reservations about Roland's work ethic.
in 2005
under head coach Jim Haslett
. Haslett was fired the following season and replaced with Sean Payton
, who chose not to retain Roland.
, and has two sons, Johnny Jr. and James, and one daughter, Cynnamon. He owned part of a radio station, KIRL, in St. Louis
, until it filed for bankruptcy in 2004.
He also owns WRBZ 1250 Wetumpka-Mongomery, AL.
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...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
for the St. Louis Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and 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...
.
High school
Roland played high school footballHigh school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
at Roy Miller High School
Roy Miller High School
Roy Miller High School is the oldest high school in Corpus Christi, Texas . It was created in 1894, and is part of the Corpus Christi Independent School District. Originally known as Corpus Christi High the school was renamed in 1950 in honor of Henry Pomeroy Miller, the former mayor Of Corpus...
in Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
and led the team to a 13-1 record and the 4A State Championship.
College
Roland played college footballCollege 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 the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
. In 1962, he rushed for 830 yards, seventh best total in the nation, and scored 78 points, ninth in the nation. This rushing total included 155 yards against Oklahoma State University and 104 against Iowa State University
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...
. One of his most notable games that season was his first varsity game, where he rushed for 171 yards and three touchdowns. That season, Roland earned his first All-Big Eight Conference
Big Eight Conference
The Big Eight Conference, a former NCAA-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football, was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association by its charter member schools: the University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University...
honor.
Thought to have stolen a pair of tires, Roland was forced to leave the team and the school during the 1963 season and worked that year in Kansas City
Kansas City, Kansas
Kansas City is the third-largest city in the state of Kansas and is the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the third largest city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The city is part of a consolidated city-county government known as the "Unified...
. He was welcomed back to the team in 1964 and was moved to the defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
position. He led his team to a 6-3-1 record and was again chosen as an All-Big Eight player. In 1965, Roland led the Tigers to a 8-2-1 record and a victory in the 1966 Sugar Bowl
1966 Sugar Bowl
The 1966 edition to the Sugar Bowl featured the sixth-ranked Missouri Tigers and the unranked Florida Gators.After a scoreless first quarter, Missouri went on a tear in the second quarter. Brown scored on a 16-yard touchdown run giving the Tigers a 7-0 lead. Roland threw an 11-yard touchdown pass...
over the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, 20-18. That season, he was named the team's captain, was voted a College All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n, and again was on the All-Big Eight team. By being named the captain of the 1965 team, Roland was the first African-American to serve as the captain for any University of Missouri athletic team.
Roland had his jersey retired (#23) by Missouri and was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
in 2005.
Professional
Roland was draftedNFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
in the fourth round of the 1965 NFL Draft
1965 NFL Draft
The 1965 National Football League Draft took place on November 28, 1964. The first player selected was Tucker Frederickson, back from Auburn, by the New York Giants. The draft was marked by the failure of the St...
by the St. Louis Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and was named UPI NFL-NFC Rookie of the Year
UPI NFL-NFC Rookie of the Year
From 1955 - 1996 The United Press International gave out two annual Rookie of the Year Awards to NFL-NFC American football players and AFL-AFC American football players.-NFL Rookies of the Year:-NFC Rookies of the Year:-See also:...
in 1966
1966 NFL season
The 1966 NFL season was the 47th regular season of the National Football League, and the season after which was played Super Bowl I, though it was called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game. The league expanded to 15 teams with the addition of the Atlanta Falcons, thus an odd number of teams...
. He played for seven seasons with the Cardinals, and he became the franchise's leading rusher (since broken). He then went on to play for one season with 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...
. Roland played in 103 NFL games, during which he rushed for 3,750 yards and 28 touchdowns on 1,015 attempts, caught 153 passes for 1,430 yards and six touchdowns, returned 49 punts for 452 yards with two touchdowns, returned 22 kickoffs for 444 yards, and completed five of 13 passes for 130 yards and one touchdown.
First stint with Green Bay (1974)
Roland's former college coach, Dan DevineDan Devine
Daniel John Devine was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach football coach at Arizona State University from 1955 to 1957, the University of Missouri from 1958 to 1970, and the University of Notre Dame from 1975 to 1980, compiling a career college football mark of...
, hired Roland to be the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
special assignments coach in 1974
1974 Green Bay Packers season
The 1974 Green Bay Packers season was their 54th season in the National Football League. The club posted a 6-8 record under coach Dan Devine, earning them a third-place finish in the NFC Central division...
. While there, he coordinated some of the first computer programs used by Packers coaches, as well as scouting college talent and coaching.
Notre Dame (1975)
Roland then followed Devine to the University of Notre DameUniversity of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
, where he was an assistant coach in 1975.
Philadelphia Eagles (1976-1978)
Roland was the running backRunning 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...
s coach for the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
from 1976
1976 NFL season
The 1976 NFL season was the 57th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 28 teams with the addition of the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
to 1978
1978 NFL season
The 1978 NFL season was the 59th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded the regular season from a 14-game schedule to 16. Furthermore, the playoff format was expanded from 8 teams to 10 teams by adding another wild card from each conference...
under head coach Dick Vermeil
Dick Vermeil
Richard Albert "Dick" Vermeil is a former American head coach for the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles , St. Louis Rams and Kansas City Chiefs...
. During his time there, Roland coached Wilbert Montgomery
Wilbert Montgomery
Wilbert Montgomery is a former American football player in the National Football League for nine years with the Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions...
, who helped lead Philadelphia to Super Bowl XV
Super Bowl XV
Super Bowl XV was an American football game played on January 25, 1981 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1980 regular season...
and remains the Eagles' all-time leading rusher.
Chicago Bears (1983-1992)
Roland was hired by Chicago BearsChicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
head coach Mike Ditka
Mike Ditka
Michael Keller Ditka, Jr. is a former American football NFL player, television commentator, and coach. Ditka coached the Chicago Bears for 11 years and New Orleans Saints for three years. Ditka and Tom Flores are the only two people to win Super Bowls as a player, an assistant coach, and a head...
in 1983
1983 NFL season
The 1983 NFL season was the 64th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVIII when the Los Angeles Raiders defeated the Washington Redskins.-Major rule changes:...
to help coach running back Walter Payton
Walter Payton
Walter Jerry Payton was an American football running back who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League for thirteen seasons. Walter Payton was known around the NFL as "Sweetness". He is remembered as one of the most prolific running backs in the history of American football...
, who at the time stood 2,108 yards from Jim Brown
Jim Brown
James Nathaniel "Jim" Brown is an American former professional football player who has also made his mark as an actor. He is best known for his exceptional and record-setting nine-year career as a running back for the NFL Cleveland Browns from 1957 to 1965. In 2002, he was named by Sporting News...
's NFL rushing record and then broke the mark in 1984
1984 NFL season
The 1984 NFL season was the 65th regular season of the National Football League. The Colts relocated from Baltimore, Maryland to Indianapolis, Indiana....
. Roland also coached Payton's successor Neal Anderson
Neal Anderson
Charles Neal Anderson is a former American college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League for eight seasons in the 1980s and 1990s...
, whom Roland coached into the Bears' second all-time leading rusher. The Bears during Roland's tenure led the league in rushing four times, and finished among the top three in seven of his 11 seasons. From 1984 to 1988
1988 NFL season
The 1988 NFL season was the 69th regular season of the National Football League. The Cardinals relocated from St. Louis, Missouri to the Phoenix, Arizona area becoming the Phoenix Cardinals but remained in the NFC East division....
, Chicago rushed for 160.9 yards per game, went 62-17 (.785), made the playoffs five straight years and won Super Bowl XX
Super Bowl XX
Super Bowl XX was an American football championship game played on January 26, 1986 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1985 regular season...
.
New York Jets (1993-1994)
Roland was the running backs coach for the New York JetsNew York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
from 1993
1993 NFL season
The 1993 NFL season was the 74th regular season of the National Football League. For the first time in league history, all NFL teams played their 16-game schedule over a span of 18 weeks. After the success of expanding the regular season to a period of 17 weeks in 1990, the league hoped this new...
to 1994
1994 NFL season
The 1994 NFL season was the 75th regular season of the National Football League. To honor the NFL's 75th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season...
.
St. Louis Rams (1995-1996)
Roland joined the St. Louis RamsSt. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
in 1995
1995 NFL season
The 1995 NFL season was the 76th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 30 teams with the addition of the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars...
and coached running back Jerome Bettis
Jerome Bettis
Jerome Abram "The Bus" Bettis is a retired American football halfback who played for the NFL's Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers. Bettis is considered one of the best big backs ever because his footwork and power, and is currently fifth on the National Football League's all-time...
during Bettis' last year with the Rams before playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
.
Arizona Cardinals (1997-2003)
Roland joined the Arizona CardinalsArizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 1997
1997 NFL season
The 1997 NFL season was the 78th regular season of the National Football League. The Oilers relocated from Houston, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee...
. During his final season with the Cardinals in 2003
2003 NFL season
-Milestones:The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:-Team:-Individual:-Awards:-External Links:**-References:*NFL Record and Fact Book *...
, he coached Emmitt Smith
Emmitt Smith
Emmitt James Smith, III is a retired American football player who was a running back in the National Football League for fifteen seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Smith played college football for the University of Florida, where he was an All-American; thereafter, he played professionally for...
who was traded by the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
in the offseason. By coaching Smith, Roland became the only coach to work with the two all-time leading NFL rushers (Payton and Smith).
Second stint with Green Bay (2004)
Roland started his second stint with Green Bay in 20042004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...
as the coach for Ahman Green
Ahman Green
Ahman Rashad Green is a retired American football running back. He is the all-time leading rusher for the Green Bay Packers. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the 3rd round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
, who was the NFC's
National Football Conference
The National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,...
leading rusher in 2003
2003 NFL season
-Milestones:The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:-Team:-Individual:-Awards:-External Links:**-References:*NFL Record and Fact Book *...
and second all-time rusher in franchise history.
Roland coached in Green Bay for only one season before being hired by the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
. He left the Packers because he reportedly had differences with head coach Mike Sherman
Mike Sherman
Michael Francis "Mike" Sherman is the head coach of the Texas A&M Aggies football team. Prior to coaching the Aggies, he served as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers from the 2000–05 seasons. Sherman led the Packers to five consecutive winning seasons from 2000–04 and three divisional titles...
and the Packers had reservations about Roland's work ethic.
New Orleans Saints (2005)
Roland joined the New Orleans SaintsNew Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
in 2005
2005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
under head coach Jim Haslett
Jim Haslett
James Donald "Jim" Haslett is an American football coach and former linebacker. He is currently the defensive coordinator of the Washington Redskins. Previously, he served as the head coach for the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League, and the New Orleans Saints and St...
. Haslett was fired the following season and replaced with Sean Payton
Sean Payton
Patrick Sean Payton is the current head coach of the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. Payton was a quarterback at Naperville Central High School and Eastern Illinois University and played professionally in 1987 and 1988...
, who chose not to retain Roland.
Personal
Roland lives in Tempe, ArizonaTempe, Arizona
Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale...
, and has two sons, Johnny Jr. and James, and one daughter, Cynnamon. He owned part of a radio station, KIRL, in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, until it filed for bankruptcy in 2004.
He also owns WRBZ 1250 Wetumpka-Mongomery, AL.