Before ever taking his first NFL snap, Charley Johnson had already etched his name into college football history. A tenth-round draft choice in 1960 out of New Mexico State, Johnson remains the only player to win back-to-back Sun Bowl MVP awards (1959, 1960) and became the first athlete in NMSU history to have his jersey number retired. After serving as a reserve during his 1961 rookie season, he inherited the starting job in 1962 and quickly proved that his intellect matched his arm talent.

Johnson brought a cerebral approach to the quarterback position. In fact, his off-field intellect was literally academic: while serving as the Big Red's starting signal-caller, he earned both a master's degree and a doctorate in chemical engineering from Washington University in St. Louis. On the field, he weaponized deep vertical routes to receivers like Sonny Randle and Bobby Joe Conrad, establishing St. Louis as one of the NFC's premier big-play offenses.

Johnson hit his absolute peak during the 1963 season. Guiding the Cardinals to a 9-5 record, he led the entire NFL in both completions (223) and passing yards (3,045) while throwing 21 touchdown passes to earn his first career Pro Bowl selection. He followed that performance up in 1964 by leading the Big Red to another 9-3-2 record—just missing the postseason—while throwing for 3,045 yards and 21 touchdowns. In 1963 and 1964, Johnson posted back-to-back 3,000-yard passing seasons, leading the NFL in yardage in '63 and anchoring the franchise's highest-scoring era of the decade.

Johnson's tenure in St. Louis was also marked by unique military service; while actively playing for the Cardinals, he fulfilled a two-year commitment in the U.S. Army Reserve working as a second lieutenant with NASA.

As injuries caught up to him and youngster Jim Hart emerged under center, Johnson was traded to the Houston Oilers in 1970. He later capped his 15-year NFL career by leading the Denver Broncos to their first-ever winning season in 1973. Across nine seasons in a Cardinals uniform, Johnson threw for 14,928 yards and 108 touchdowns in 105 regular-season games.