Hall of Fame Professional Football Player. For seventeen seasons (1961 to 1978), he played at the cornerback & safety positions in the National Football League (NFL) with the San Francisco 49ers. Born James Earl Johnson, he attended Kingsburg High School in California and played collegiate football at UCLA. During his college years, he excelled in football as well as track & field where he was a high hurdler and long jumper. Selected by the San Francisco 49ers as the 6th overall pick during the 1961 NFL Draft, he totaled 213 career regular season games. During the course of his career, he distinguished himself when he achieved Pro-Bowl honors five-times and All-Pro recognition three-times. He totaled 47 interceptions, for 615 yards, with 2 touchdowns. He was named to the HOF All-1970s Team and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994. In 1992, he was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame. He was the younger brother of Olympic Gold Medalist and actor Rafer Johnson.
Hall of Fame Professional Football Player. For seventeen seasons (1961 to 1978), he played at the cornerback & safety positions in the National Football League (NFL) with the San Francisco 49ers. Born James Earl Johnson, he attended Kingsburg High School in California and played collegiate football at UCLA. During his college years, he excelled in football as well as track & field where he was a high hurdler and long jumper. Selected by the San Francisco 49ers as the 6th overall pick during the 1961 NFL Draft, he totaled 213 career regular season games. During the course of his career, he distinguished himself when he achieved Pro-Bowl honors five-times and All-Pro recognition three-times. He totaled 47 interceptions, for 615 yards, with 2 touchdowns. He was named to the HOF All-1970s Team and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994. In 1992, he was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame. He was the younger brother of Olympic Gold Medalist and actor Rafer Johnson.
Bio by: C.S.
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