gold star for USAHOF

17. Gary Johnson

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17. Gary Johnson

Gary "Big Hands" Johnson had one of the best nicknames in football, don't you think?   He was not just a colorful moniker as Johnson was also an excellent Defensive Tackle.

From Grambling, Johnson was a First Round Pick in 1975, and he was named an All-Rookie.  Showing steady improvement, Johnson went to his first Pro Bowl in 1979, and he repeated it in the three years that followed, with First Team All-Pro honors occurring in the middle two seasons.  Sacks did not become a stat until 1982; thus, Johnson only had 7.0 official Sacks as a Charger, however "unofficially" he had 67 for the team, including 17.5 in 1980.

Johnson was traded early in the 1984 season to the San Francisco 49ers, and he ended his career with a Super Bowl win.  Years later, in 1999, Johnson was inducted into the Chargers Hall of Fame.

The Bullet Points

  • Position: Defensive Tackle
  • Acquired: Selected in the 1st Round, 8th Overall in the NFL Draft 1/28/75.
  • Departed:

    Traded to the San Francisco 49ers for two 1986 Draft Picks 9/28/84.

  • Games Played: 134
  • Notable Statistics:

    123 Games Started
    2 Interceptions
    93 Interception Return Yards
    2 Interception Return Touchdowns
    10 Fumble Recoveries
    36 Fumble Recovery Yards
    67.5 Quarterback Sacks*
    81 Approximate Value

    7 Playoff Games
    4.0 Quarterback Sacks

    *Sacks were not a stat until the 1982 Season but were unofficially calculated by Pro Football Reference from 1960 to 1981.

  • Major Accolades and Awards:

    First Team All-Pro (1980 & 1981)
    Pro Bowl (1979, 1980, 1981 & 1982)
    All-Rookie (1975)
    Most Quarteback Sacks (1980)*

    *Sacks were unofficially calculated by Pro Football Reference from 1960 to 1981.

Last modified on Sunday, 23 July 2023 05:45

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