Undra Johnson
Encyclopedia
Undra Jerome Johnson is a former American football
running back
in the National Football League
for the Atlanta Falcons
, New Orleans Saints
, and the Dallas Cowboys
.
at Stranahan High School
in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
.
at West Virginia University
in 1985 and played backup his freshman season, behind John Holifield
. Johnson rushed for 257 yards and a touchdown that season.
In the 1986 season, Johnson's sophomore year, he beat out Holifield for the starting
job at running back. He rushed for a team-high 652 yards and five touchdowns that season, as the Mountaineers went 4-7.
As a junior in 1987, Johnson played backup once again, this time to A.B. Brown. Johnson and the Mountainers, led by the freshman star Major Harris
at quarterback
, went 6-6. Johnson rushed for 593 yards and four touchdowns that season, behind Brown's 1,000 yards.
In Johnson's final season as a Mountaineer, 1988, the team went undefeated for the first time in school history. Johnson shared time at halfback
with Brown. Johnson was again second on the team rushing to Brown, this time with 709 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns.
in the seventh round (172 overall) in the 1989 NFL Draft
by the Atlanta Falcons
. He played one game for the Falcons and five games for the New Orleans Saints
in the 1989 NFL season
.
in Bridgeport, West Virginia
.
Johnson made an appearance at the 2007 West Virginia
vs. East Carolina
football game as an honorary captain for the Mountaineers
.
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 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...
, 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 ....
, and 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...
.
High school career
Johnson 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 Stranahan High School
Stranahan High School
Stranahan High school, is located in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida was officially opened in 1953 as an elementary school. The school is a part of the Broward County Public Schools district....
in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
.
Collegiate career
Johnson 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 West Virginia University
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
in 1985 and played backup his freshman season, behind John Holifield
John Holifield
Johnathan Mark Holifield was an American football running back for the Cincinnati Bengals. He played college football for the West Virginia Mountaineers.-High school career:...
. Johnson rushed for 257 yards and a touchdown that season.
In the 1986 season, Johnson's sophomore year, he beat out Holifield for the starting
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...
job at running back. He rushed for a team-high 652 yards and five touchdowns that season, as the Mountaineers went 4-7.
As a junior in 1987, Johnson played backup once again, this time to A.B. Brown. Johnson and the Mountainers, led by the freshman star Major Harris
Major Harris
Major Harris is a former college football quarterback for West Virginia University during the 1980s. Harris was a 1989 All American and finished third and fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1988 and 1989, respectively. He was also the ECAC Player of the Year in 1988 and 1989...
at quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
, went 6-6. Johnson rushed for 593 yards and four touchdowns that season, behind Brown's 1,000 yards.
In Johnson's final season as a Mountaineer, 1988, the team went undefeated for the first time in school history. Johnson shared time at halfback
Halfback (American football)
A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive...
with Brown. Johnson was again second on the team rushing to Brown, this time with 709 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns.
Professional career
Johnson 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 seventh round (172 overall) in the 1989 NFL Draft
1989 NFL Draft
The 1989 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 23–24 , 1989...
by the 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...
. He played one game for the Falcons and five games for 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 ....
in the 1989 NFL season
1989 NFL season
The 1989 NFL season was the 70th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle announced his retirement...
.
Personal
Johnson is now a stock brokerStock broker
A stock broker or stockbroker is a regulated professional broker who buys and sells shares and other securities through market makers or Agency Only Firms on behalf of investors...
in Bridgeport, West Virginia
Bridgeport, West Virginia
Bridgeport is a city in Harrison County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 7,306 at the 2000 census.The town of Bridgeport had its beginning in pre-Revolutionary War times. In 1764, John Simpson entered the area and gave his name to Simpson Creek. Bridgeport was chartered in 1816....
.
Johnson made an appearance at the 2007 West Virginia
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
vs. East Carolina
East Carolina University
East Carolina University is a public, coeducational, engaged doctoral/research university located in Greenville, North Carolina, United States. Named East Carolina University by statute and commonly known as ECU or East Carolina, the university is the largest institution of higher learning in...
football game as an honorary captain for the Mountaineers
West Virginia Mountaineers
The West Virginia Mountaineers are the athletic teams of West Virginia University. The school is a member of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Big East Conference. On July 1, 2012 the Mountaineers will switch conferences, moving from the Big East to the Big 12, becoming...
.