Lee Johnson (American football player)
Encyclopedia
Leland Eric JohnsonLeland Eric Johnson (born November 27, 1961 in Dallas, Texas
, is a former professional American football
punter who played 18 seasons in the National Football League
. Throughout the course of his career, he played for the Houston Oilers
(1985–1987), the Cleveland Browns
(1987–1988), the Cincinnati Bengals
(1988–1998), the New England Patriots
(1999–2001), the Minnesota Vikings
(2001), and the Philadelphia Eagles
(2002). Before his NFL career, Johnson played college football
for Brigham Young University. After graduating college, he was selected by the Oilers in the fifth round of the 1985 NFL Draft
.
. He was nicknamed "Thunderfoot" while at BYU. Johnson was an All-American selection in 1984.
and Jeff Feagles
.
His most successful years in the NFL were with the Bengals, where he spent 11 of his 18 seasons and made an NFL championship appearance in Super Bowl XXIII
. In that game, Johnson set a record for the longest punt in Super Bowl history (63 yards). By 1998, Johnson had become extremely frustrated with Cincinnati, which had not recorded a winning season since 1990. After a 33-20 loss at home during the 1998 season, Johnson publicly denounced the Bengals management and said if he was a Cincinnati fan with season tickets, he would probably sell them. Johnson was cut by the Bengals the following day, and subsequently signed with the Patriots in the following season. He left the Bengals as their all-time leading punter with 746 punts for 32,196 yards and 186 punts in the 20.
Johnson was the Patriots punter for the next two years, but was cut by the team five games into the 2001 season
. He spent the rest of the year with the Vikings and played his final season with the Eagles before retiring from the NFL at age 40.
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, is a former professional 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...
punter who played 18 seasons 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...
. Throughout the course of his career, he played for the Houston Oilers
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
(1985–1987), the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(1987–1988), the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
(1988–1998), the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
(1999–2001), the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
(2001), and 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...
(2002). Before his NFL career, 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...
for Brigham Young University. After graduating college, he was selected by the Oilers in the fifth round of the 1985 NFL Draft
1985 NFL Draft
The 1985 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 30 and May 1, 1985...
.
College career
Johnson was a punter for Brigham Young University and was a member of the 1984 National Champion team1984 BYU Cougars football team
The 1984 BYU Cougars football team represented Brigham Young University in the 1984 college football season. The Cougars went undefeated en route to winning the 1984 Holiday Bowl against Michigan and being named national champions by the AP and Coaches Poll...
. He was nicknamed "Thunderfoot" while at BYU. Johnson was an All-American selection in 1984.
Professional career
In his 18 seasons, Johnson played in 259 games and recorded 1,226 punts for 51,979 yards and 317 punts in the 20, with 142 touchbacks. His 70-yard punt in 1990 was the longest of the season, and he led the NFL with a 38.5 net yard average in 1995. At the time of his retirement, his 51,979 punting yards were the third most in NFL history behind Sean LandetaSean Landeta
Sean Edward Landeta is a former American football punter who played in both the United States Football League and the National Football League...
and Jeff Feagles
Jeff Feagles
Jeffrey Allan Feagles is a retired American football punter. He was originally signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 1988. He played college football at the University of Miami, and most recently played for the New York Giants of the National Football League.Feagles is...
.
His most successful years in the NFL were with the Bengals, where he spent 11 of his 18 seasons and made an NFL championship appearance in Super Bowl XXIII
Super Bowl XXIII
Super Bowl XXIII was an American football game played on January 22, 1989 at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1988 regular season. This was the first Super Bowl hosted in the Miami area in 10 years, and the first in Miami not held...
. In that game, Johnson set a record for the longest punt in Super Bowl history (63 yards). By 1998, Johnson had become extremely frustrated with Cincinnati, which had not recorded a winning season since 1990. After a 33-20 loss at home during the 1998 season, Johnson publicly denounced the Bengals management and said if he was a Cincinnati fan with season tickets, he would probably sell them. Johnson was cut by the Bengals the following day, and subsequently signed with the Patriots in the following season. He left the Bengals as their all-time leading punter with 746 punts for 32,196 yards and 186 punts in the 20.
Johnson was the Patriots punter for the next two years, but was cut by the team five games into the 2001 season
2001 New England Patriots season
The 2001 New England Patriots season was the 32nd season for the team in the National Football League and 42nd season overall. They finished with an 11–5 record and a division title before advancing to and winning Super Bowl XXXVI....
. He spent the rest of the year with the Vikings and played his final season with the Eagles before retiring from the NFL at age 40.
Post-football
Currently Johnson is a highly-trained elite mountain cyclist having competed in the Leadville 100 six times with a personal best time of 9 hours 27 minutes.Further reading
- Ludwig, Chick. Cincinnati Bengals, The Legends. Willmington, OH: Orange Frazer P, 2004. ISBN 1-882203-38-0
External links
- Database Football: Lee Johnson statistics