Happy 70th birthday to Pete Johnson! Johnson played running back for eight seasons in the NFL: seven with the Cincinnati Bengals and one split between the San Diego Chargers and Miami Dolphins. He was the Bengals’ leading rusher all seven years with the team. Johnson’s best season was 1981, when he gained 1397 yards from scrimmage and was selected for the Pro Bowl. The Bengals made it to Super Bowl XVI at the end of that season, but lost to the San Francisco 49ers, 26-21.
Johnson played college football at Ohio State. In 1975, while his teammate Archie Griffin rushed for 1,450 yards and won the Heisman Trophy, Johnson rushed for 1,059 yards of his own. The same season, he set school records with 25 rushing touchdowns and 156 points. He still holds the school record with 58 career touchdowns.
Today’s card of the day is Johnson’s rookie card, a 1978 Topps. You can see more of Johnson’s cards in the Gallery.
