Gary "Big Hands" Johnson: Difference between revisions

Sacks:	16
Safeties:	2
Interceptions:	2
Interception yards:	93
Fumble recoveries:	13
Defensive touchdowns:	3
	Stats at Pro Football Reference

Gary Johnson
	Johnson with the Chargers c. 1982
No. 72, 79, 97
Position:	Defensive tackle
Personal information
Born:	August 31, 1952; Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S.
Died:	August 4, 2010 (aged 57); Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:	257 lb (117 kg)
Career information
High school:	Mitchell (Bossier City, Louisiana)
College:	Grambling State (1971–1974)
NFL draft:	1975 / round: 1 / pick: 8
Career history
	San Diego Chargers (1975–1984); San Francisco 49ers (1984–1985);
Career highlights and awards
	Super Bowl champion (XIX); 2× First-team All-Pro (1980, 1981); 2× Second-team All-Pro (1979, 1982); 4× Pro Bowl (1979–1982); NFL sacks leader (1980); PFWA All-Rookie Team (1975); Los Angeles Chargers Hall of Fame; San Diego Chargers 50th Anniversary Team; San Diego Chargers 40th Anniversary Team; First-team All-American (1974); 3× First-team Little All-American (1972–1974); Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame;
Career NFL statistics
Sacks:
Sacks:	16
Safeties:	2
Interceptions:	2
Interception yards:	93
Fumble recoveries:	13
Defensive touchdowns:	3
	Stats at Pro Football Reference
	College Football Hall of Fame

Browse history interactively

← Previous edit

Content deleted Content added

VisualWikitext

Inline

Latest revision as of 04:39, 6 November 2024

Gary Lynn "Big Hands" Johnson (August 31, 1952 – August 4, 2010) was an American professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He was a four-time All-Pro and a four-time Pro Bowl selection. He played the majority of his NFL career with the San Diego Chargers, and he was inducted into the Chargers Hall of Fame.

Johnson played college football for the Grambling State Tigers, and was a three-time first-team Little All-American selection. He was drafted by San Diego in the 1975 NFL draft in the first round with the eighth overall pick. Johnson was named to the NFL All-Rookie team in his first season. The Chargers won three consecutive division titles from 1979 through 1981. Their defense led the league in sacks in 1980 behind Johnson's team-record 17+1⁄2 sacks. In 1984, Johnson was traded to the San Francisco 49ers, and he won a Super Bowl with the team that season. Johnson retired after the 49ers season in 1985.

He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, and was named to both the Chargers' 40th and 50th anniversary teams.

Early life

Johnson was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, and grew up in Bossier City.^[1] When Johnson was in the eighth grade, he wanted to pick up a basketball in his physical education class when his coach said, "Get your big hands off my basketball." The nickname "Big Hands" was born.^[2] He played football at Charlotte Mitchell and Airline High School in Bossier City, and later played college football at Grambling State University for their Tigers football team.^[1]^[3] He was selected by the Associated Press as a first-team defensive tackle on the Little All-America team as a sophomore in 1972.^[4] A senior in 1974, he was named a first-team All-American by the Newspaper Enterprise Association and earned his third straight Little All-American selection.^[5]^[6]

NFL career

Johnson was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the first round of the 1975 NFL draft with the eight overall pick. He was their first pick that year, when the Chargers also drafted other future defensive starters including cornerback Mike Williams, defensive linemen Fred Dean and Louie Kelcher, and safety Mike Fuller.^[7] Johnson was named to the NFL All-Rookie team,^[8] but did not start until the middle of the season.^[9] After only five sacks in his first two seasons, he broke out with 13+1⁄2 in 1977, when defensive line coach Jerry Smith arrived from Baltimore.^[7]^[9]

In 1980, the Chargers led the NFL with 60 sacks.^[7] That year Johnson led the league with 17+1⁄2 sacks, which is still a Chargers' team record. He broke Steve DeLong's mark of 17 in 1969.^[10] Johnson and Dean were named first-team All-Pro, with Kelcher being named second-team All-Pro. The trio, along with Leroy Jones, formed a defensive frontline that was nicknamed the Bruise Brothers.^[11]^[12] Johnson was also named the American Football Conference's Defensive Lineman of the Year by the National Football League Players Association.^[13] He again was named first-team All-Pro in 1981, and was second-team All-Pro in 1982. He was on Pro Bowl teams from 1980 to 1983. Don "Air" Coryell's Chargers teams of that era are mostly remembered for its high-scoring, pass-oriented offense. The Chargers won the AFC West from 1979 to 1981 and made the playoffs in 1982.

Johnson was re-united with Dean, Kelcher and Billy Shields on the San Francisco 49ers, and together they won Super Bowl XIX. Sports Illustrated called Johnson the Super Bowl's "unofficial defensive MVP" after he recorded one sack, flushed Miami quarterback Dan Marino out of the pocket numerous times, and had four unassisted tackles.^[14] Johnson retired after the 1985 season.

In 1991, Johnson was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. In 1997, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. In 1999, he was inducted into the Chargers Hall of Fame. He is a member of both the Chargers 40th and 50th anniversary teams. He was elected posthumously into the Black College Football Hall of Fame in 2017.^[15]

Death

Johnson suffered a stroke on July 20, 2010, and died on August 4 at the LSU Health Sciences Center in his hometown of Shreveport, Louisiana.^[16]^[17]

References

^ ^a ^b "Gary "Big Hands" Johnson". lasportshall.com. Archived from the original on December 18, 2015.
^ Jerry Magee (February 12, 2007). "You gotta hand it to legendary Johnson". The San Diego Union Tribune. Archived from the original on March 24, 2007. Retrieved October 23, 2008.
^ Evans, Chris (March 9, 2014). "Gary 'Big Hands' Johnson". 1130TheTiger.com. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
^ "UC Davis QB Is Little All-American". Santa Cruz Sentinel. December 6, 1972. p. 22 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Olderman, Murray (December 4, 1974). "'Big Hands' Johnson on All-America". Shreveport Journal. p. E 1. Retrieved December 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Little All-America Team Named". The Daily Times. December 5, 1974. p. 30. Retrieved December 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
^ ^a ^b ^c Moore, David Leon (January 9, 1981). "Chargers' rush is in good hands". The Sun. San Bernardino, Calif. pp. C-1, C-3. Retrieved May 9, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "1970s All-Rookie Teams". Pro Football Writers of America. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
^ ^a ^b Norcross, Don (September 26, 1980). "Chargers give a big hand to other to other defensive tackle". The Times-Advocate. pp. C-1, C-2. Retrieved June 16, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Smith, Rick (1981). 1981 San Diego Chargers Facts Book. San Diego Chargers. p. 41.
^ "Grambling State University Loses Two Football Legends". FoxSports.com. Fox Sports Interactive Media, LLC. August 11, 2010. Archived from the original on August 19, 2010.
^ "No. 16: Chargers' best draft class". ESPN.com. March 28, 2009. Retrieved May 27, 2011. The 2001 class was good, but the 1975 class ranks the best. San Diego had four of the first 33 picks in the draft, and the Chargers selected three defensive linemen that would form the nucleus of "The Bruise Brothers" and once formed three-fourths of the AFC Pro Bowl defensive line.(subscription required)
^ "Campbell captures 3 awards". The Spokesman-Review. AP. March 29, 1981. p. C7. Retrieved June 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Zimmerman, Paul (January 28, 1985). "The Niners Were Never Finer". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012.
^ "All Inductees". BlackCollegeFootballHOF.org. Archived from the original on February 2, 2020. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
^ Nick Canepa (August 4, 2010). "Gary 'Big Hands' Johnson dead at 57". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on March 22, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
^ Roy Lang III (August 5, 2010). "Gary 'Big Hands' Johnson dies at 57: Shreveport native spent 11 years in NFL". The Times. pp. 1B, 2B – via Newspapers.com.

External links

Gary "Big Hands" Johnson at the College Football Hall of Fame
Career statistics from NFL.com · Pro Football Reference

[la_hof-1] "Gary "Big Hands" Johnson". lasportshall.com. Archived from the original on December 18, 2015.

[2] Jerry Magee (February 12, 2007). "You gotta hand it to legendary Johnson". The San Diego Union Tribune. Archived from the original on March 24, 2007. Retrieved October 23, 2008.

[3] Evans, Chris (March 9, 2014). "Gary 'Big Hands' Johnson". 1130TheTiger.com. Retrieved September 2, 2021.

[4] "UC Davis QB Is Little All-American". Santa Cruz Sentinel. December 6, 1972. p. 22 – via Newspapers.com.

[5] Olderman, Murray (December 4, 1974). "'Big Hands' Johnson on All-America". Shreveport Journal. p. E 1. Retrieved December 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.

[6] "Little All-America Team Named". The Daily Times. December 5, 1974. p. 30. Retrieved December 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.

[moore_01091981-7] Moore, David Leon (January 9, 1981). "Chargers' rush is in good hands". The Sun. San Bernardino, Calif. pp. C-1, C-3. Retrieved May 9, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.

[8] "1970s All-Rookie Teams". Pro Football Writers of America. Retrieved June 16, 2023.

[norcross_09261980-9] Norcross, Don (September 26, 1980). "Chargers give a big hand to other to other defensive tackle". The Times-Advocate. pp. C-1, C-2. Retrieved June 16, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.

[10] Smith, Rick (1981). 1981 San Diego Chargers Facts Book. San Diego Chargers. p. 41.

[11] "Grambling State University Loses Two Football Legends". FoxSports.com. Fox Sports Interactive Media, LLC. August 11, 2010. Archived from the original on August 19, 2010.

[12] "No. 16: Chargers' best draft class". ESPN.com. March 28, 2009. Retrieved May 27, 2011. The 2001 class was good, but the 1975 class ranks the best. San Diego had four of the first 33 picks in the draft, and the Chargers selected three defensive linemen that would form the nucleus of "The Bruise Brothers" and once formed three-fourths of the AFC Pro Bowl defensive line.(subscription required)

[13] "Campbell captures 3 awards". The Spokesman-Review. AP. March 29, 1981. p. C7. Retrieved June 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.

[zimmerman-14] Zimmerman, Paul (January 28, 1985). "The Niners Were Never Finer". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012.

[15] "All Inductees". BlackCollegeFootballHOF.org. Archived from the original on February 2, 2020. Retrieved February 25, 2021.

[16] Nick Canepa (August 4, 2010). "Gary 'Big Hands' Johnson dead at 57". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on March 22, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2010.

[17] Roy Lang III (August 5, 2010). "Gary 'Big Hands' Johnson dies at 57: Shreveport native spent 11 years in NFL". The Times. pp. 1B, 2B – via Newspapers.com.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

@@ Line 54: / Line 54: @@
 }}
-'''Gary Lynn''' "'''Big Hands'''" '''Johnson''' (August 31, 1952 – August 4, 2010) was an American professional [[American football|football]] [[defensive tackle]] who played in the [[National Football League]] (NFL). He was a four-time [[All-Pro]] and a four-time [[Pro Bowl]] selection. He played the majority of his NFL career with the [[San Diego Chargers]], and he was inducted into the [[Los Angeles Chargers Hall of Fame|Chargers Hall of Fame]].
+'''Gary Lynn''' "'''Big Hands'''" '''Johnson''' (August 31, 1952 – August 4, 2010) was an American professional [[American football|football]] player who was a [[defensive tackle]] in the [[National Football League]] (NFL). He was a four-time [[All-Pro]] and a four-time [[Pro Bowl]] selection. He played the majority of his NFL career with the [[San Diego Chargers]], and he was inducted into the [[Los Angeles Chargers Hall of Fame|Chargers Hall of Fame]].
 Johnson played [[college football]] for the [[Grambling State Tigers football|Grambling State Tigers]], and was a three-time first-team [[Little All-American]] selection. He was drafted by San Diego in the [[1975 NFL draft]] in the first round with the eighth overall pick. Johnson was named to the NFL All-Rookie team in his first season. The Chargers won three consecutive division titles from 1979 through 1981. Their defense led the league in [[Quarterback sack|sacks]] in 1980 behind Johnson's team-record {{frac|17|1|2}} sacks. In 1984, Johnson was traded to the [[San Francisco 49ers]], and he won a [[Super Bowl]] with the team that season. Johnson retired after the 49ers season in 1985.
@@ Line 68: / Line 68: @@
 In [[1980 San Diego Chargers season|1980]], the Chargers led the NFL with 60 sacks.<ref name=moore_01091981>{{cite news|last=Moore|first=David Leon|title=Chargers' rush is in good hands|date=January 9, 1981|newspaper=The Sun|location=San Bernardino, Calif.|pages=C-1, C-3|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2378323/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|access-date=May 9, 2015}}{{open access}}</ref> That year Johnson led the league with {{frac|17|1|2}} sacks, which is still a Chargers' team record.  He broke [[Steve DeLong]]'s mark of 17 in [[1969 San Diego Chargers season|1969]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Smith|first=Rick|title=1981 San Diego Chargers Facts Book|year=1981|publisher=San Diego Chargers|page=41}}</ref>  Johnson and Dean were named first-team [[All-Pro]], with Kelcher being named second-team All-Pro.  The trio, along with [[Leroy Jones (American football)|Leroy Jones]], formed a defensive frontline that was nicknamed the [[Bruise Brothers (San Diego Chargers)|Bruise Brothers]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Grambling State University Loses Two Football Legends |date=August 11, 2010 |work=FoxSports.com |publisher=Fox Sports Interactive Media, LLC |url=http://msn.foxsports.com/collegefootball/story/Grambling-State-University-Loses-Two-Football-Legends-86642150 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100819165517/http://msn.foxsports.com/collegefootball/story/Grambling-State-University-Loses-Two-Football-Legends-86642150 |archive-date=August 19, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=No. 16: Chargers' best draft class | date=March 28, 2009 |work=ESPN.com |url=https://insider.espn.com/nfl/insider/news/story?id=4017589 |access-date=May 27, 2011 |quote=The 2001 class was good, but the 1975 class ranks the best. San Diego had four of the first 33 picks in the draft, and the Chargers selected three defensive linemen that would form the nucleus of "The Bruise Brothers" and once formed three-fourths of the AFC Pro Bowl defensive line.}}{{subscription required}}</ref> Johnson was also named the [[American Football Conference]]'s Defensive Lineman of the Year by the [[National Football League Players Association]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Campbell captures 3 awards|date=March 29, 1981|newspaper=The Spokesman-Review|page=C7|agency=AP|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79975983/|access-date=June 21, 2021|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> He again was named first-team All-Pro in [[1981 San Diego Chargers season|1981]], and was second-team All-Pro in [[1982 San Diego Chargers season|1982]].  He was on [[Pro Bowl]] teams from 1980 to 1983. [[Don Coryell|Don "Air" Coryell's]] Chargers teams of that era are mostly remembered for its high-scoring, pass-oriented offense.  The Chargers won the AFC West from 1979 to 1981 and made the playoffs in 1982.
-Johnson was re-united with Dean, Kelcher and [[Billy Shields]] on the  [[San Francisco 49ers]], and together they won [[Super Bowl XIX]].  ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'' called Johnson the Super Bowl's "unofficial defensive MVP" after he recorded one sack, flushed Miami quarterback [[Dan Marino]] out of the [[passing pocket|pocket]] numerous times, and had four unassisted [[Tackle (football move)|tackles]].<ref name=zimmerman>{{cite news|last=Zimmerman |first=Paul |title=The Niners Were Never Finer |date=January 28, 1985 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/features/superbowl/archives/19/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020104957/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/features/superbowl/archives/19/ |archive-date=October 20, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> Johnson retired after the [[1985 NFL season|1985 season]].
+Johnson was re-united with Dean, Kelcher and [[Billy Shields]] on the  [[San Francisco 49ers]], and together they won [[Super Bowl XIX]].  ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'' called Johnson the Super Bowl's "unofficial defensive MVP" after he recorded one sack, flushed Miami quarterback [[Dan Marino]] out of the [[passing pocket|pocket]] numerous times, and had four unassisted [[Tackle (football move)|tackles]].<ref name=zimmerman>{{cite news|last=Zimmerman |first=Paul |title=The Niners Were Never Finer |date=January 28, 1985 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/features/superbowl/archives/19/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020104957/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/features/superbowl/archives/19/ |archive-date=October 20, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Johnson retired after the [[1985 NFL season|1985 season]].
 In 1991, Johnson was inducted into the [[Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame]]. In 1997, he was inducted into the [[College Football Hall of Fame]].  In 1999, he was inducted into the [[Los Angeles Chargers Hall of Fame|Chargers Hall of Fame]]. He is a member of both the Chargers [[List of San Diego Chargers 40th Anniversary Team|40th]] and [[San Diego Chargers 50th Anniversary Team|50th anniversary team]]s. He was elected posthumously into the [[Black College Football Hall of Fame]] in 2017.<ref>{{cite web|title=All Inductees|website=BlackCollegeFootballHOF.org|url=https://www.blackcollegefootballhof.org/inductees/alphabetical|access-date=February 25, 2021|archive-date=February 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200202222806/https://www.blackcollegefootballhof.org/inductees/alphabetical|url-status=dead}}</ref>
@@ Line 104: / Line 104: @@
 [[Category:Sportspeople from Bossier City, Louisiana]]
 [[Category:Players of American football from Shreveport, Louisiana]]
-[[Category:20th-century African-American sportspeople]]
+[[Category:20th-century African-American sportsmen]]

v t e San Francisco 49ers Super Bowl XIX champions
4 Max Runager 6 Matt Cavanaugh 14 Ray Wersching 16 Joe Montana (MVP) 19 Tom Orosz 21 Eric Wright 22 Dwight Hicks 24 Derrick Harmon 26 Wendell Tyler 27 Carlton Williamson 28 Tom Holmoe 29 Mario Clark 30 Bill Ring 32 Carl Monroe 33 Roger Craig 42 Ronnie Lott 43 Dana McLemore 49 Jeff Fuller 50 Riki Ellison 51 Randy Cross 52 Blanchard Montgomery 53 Milt McColl 54 Ron Ferrari 55 Jim Fahnhorst 56 Fred Quillan 57 Dan Bunz 58 Keena Turner 61 Jesse Sapolu 62 Guy McIntyre 64 Jack Reynolds 65 Lawrence Pillers 66 Allan Kennedy 67 Billy Shields 67 John Macaulay 68 John Ayers 71 Keith Fahnhorst 72 Jeff Stover 74 Fred Dean 76 Dwaine Board 77 Bubba Paris 78 Manu Tuiasosopo 79 Jim Stuckey 81 Russ Francis 83 Renaldo Nehemiah 84 Al Dixon 85 Mike Wilson 86 John Frank 87 Dwight Clark 88 Freddie Solomon 89 Earl Cooper 90 Todd Shell 94 Louie Kelcher 95 Michael Carter 97 Gary Johnson 98 Greg Boyd 99 Mike Walter
Head coach Bill Walsh
Coaches Paul Hackett Tommy Hart Norb Hecker Sherman Lewis Bobb McKittrick Bill McPherson George Seifert Ray Rhodes Fred von Appen

v t e San Diego Chargers 50th Anniversary Team
Offense	QB Fouts Hadl Humphries Rivers RB Lincoln P. Lowe Means Muncie Tomlinson WR Alworth Chandler Garrison Jefferson Joiner TE Gates Winslow T Mix Washington Wright G Dielman Sweeney White Wilkerson C Hardwick Macek
Defense	DE Dean Faison O’Neal DT Johnson Kelcher Ladd Williams LB Allen W. Lowe Merriman Seau Smith DB Buchanon Byrd Harrison Jammer McNeil
Special teams	K Benirschke Carney KR Duncan Sproles P Bennett Scifres ST Bauer Osgood
Coaches	Coryell Gillman Ross