LeShon Johnson
Encyclopedia
LeShon Eugene Johnson is a former American football
player who was drafted
by the Green Bay Packers
in the third round of the 1994 NFL Draft
.
Johnson, a running back
, played for the Green Bay Packers
, the Arizona Cardinals
, and the New York Giants
. Johnson's career was interrupted by Lymphoma
cancer; however, he managed to make a comeback and subsequently started
for the Giants.
In Johnson's best game he rushed for 214 yards on 21 carries for the Arizona Cardinals
versus the New Orleans Saints on September 22, 1996. His football career ended playing in the XFL
for the Chicago Enforcers
.
Johnson played college football
at Northern Illinois University
. In 1993 Johnson was the nation’s number one 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 at that college, but his total yards mark of 3,314 still places him fifth on the school's all-time list.
Johnson was a standout high school
running back at Haskell High School
in Oklahoma. He played college football
at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College
before transferring to Northern Illinois. Johnson was a bull rider on the junior rodeo
circuit, earning the nickname the "Cowboy," which followed him throughout his football career.
Johnson pled guilty in 2005 to the crime of dog fighting
in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma
. He received a five-year deferred sentence.
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 who was drafted
NFL 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...
by 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...
in the third round of the 1994 NFL Draft
1994 NFL Draft
The 1994 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 1994. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and...
.
Johnson, a 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...
, played for 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...
, the Arizona 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 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...
. Johnson's career was interrupted by Lymphoma
Lymphoma
Lymphoma is a cancer in the lymphatic cells of the immune system. Typically, lymphomas present as a solid tumor of lymphoid cells. Treatment might involve chemotherapy and in some cases radiotherapy and/or bone marrow transplantation, and can be curable depending on the histology, type, and stage...
cancer; however, he managed to make a comeback and subsequently started
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
for the Giants.
In Johnson's best game he rushed for 214 yards on 21 carries for the Arizona 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...
versus the New Orleans Saints on September 22, 1996. His football career ended playing in the XFL
XFL
The XFL was a professional American football league that played for one season in 2001. The league was founded by Vince McMahon, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of WWE...
for the Chicago Enforcers
Chicago Enforcers
The Chicago Enforcers were a short-lived American football team based in Chicago, Illinois at Soldier Field. This team was part of the failed XFL begun by Vince McMahon of World Wrestling Entertainment and by NBC, a major television network in the United States...
.
Johnson 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 Northern Illinois University
Northern Illinois University
Northern Illinois University is a state university and research institution located in DeKalb, Illinois, with satellite centers in Hoffman Estates, Naperville, Rockford, and Oregon. It was originally founded as Northern Illinois State Normal School on May 22, 1895 by Illinois Governor John P...
. In 1993 Johnson was the nation’s number one 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
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
voting race, with five first-place votes. He played only two years at that college, but his total yards mark of 3,314 still places him fifth on the school's all-time list.
Johnson was a standout high school
High 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....
running back at Haskell High School
Haskell Public Schools
Haskell Public Schools is a K-12 public school system located in Haskell, Oklahoma. Haskell is a small town located in Muskogee County. The elementary is located in a separate building from the middle school and high school. The elementary is named Mary White Elementary after a former...
in Oklahoma. 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 Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College
Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College
Located in the small former mining town of Miami, Oklahoma, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College, commonly referred to as NEO, is a two-year community college with programs in Agriculture, Livestock Judging, Nursing, Physical Therapist Assistant, Theatre, Social Science, and a variety of other...
before transferring to Northern Illinois. Johnson was a bull rider on the junior rodeo
Rodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
circuit, earning the nickname the "Cowboy," which followed him throughout his football career.
Johnson pled guilty in 2005 to the crime of dog fighting
Dog fighting
Dog fighting is a form of blood sport in which game dogs are made to fight, sometimes to the death. It is illegal in most developed countries. Dog fighting is used for entertainment and may also generate revenue from stud fees, admission fees and gambling....
in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. He received a five-year deferred sentence.