Johnson Proved Doctors Wrong (1954)
There's an extra tug in the story of
Herb Johnson, an all but obscure back with the 1954 New York
Giants, who found himself a regular when Frank Gifford got
hurt. It started in August 1951, as one of 90
dismissed West Point cadets, where in 1949 he had scored 40
points for Army as a fullback, and in 1950 was picked to
many all-star teams as a defensive back. In Sept of
1951, near Portland, OR, he dozed off at the wheel following
a 16-hour work shift and was pinned in the wreckage of his
car from 1 am to daybreak with multiple fractures to the
legs and hips. Told by doctors he'd never walk again,
yet a year later, one leg shorter than the other, he was
playing with the semi-pro Seattle
Ramblers earning the teams' 1952 Inspirational Award
and leading them to a 10-0 season. Then he hit stardom
in 1953 for Frank Filchock's Canadian League team in Regina
(Saskatchewan Roughriders) and finally a spot on a National
Football League roster as a fine halfback. Not bad for
a boy who risked permanent back injury every time he was
hit. 1954 was his only season, but he rushed 42 times
and scored a touchdown as a Giant after setting a record for
the longest punt return in Canadian history in 1953 (109
yards) and held at total of 5 Western Provincial Football
Union (CFL) records that year.
Ramblers offensive stats (Johnson was
also the starting safety on defense):
vs West Seattle All-Stars
2 TD's (9 yds/15 yds)
vs Bremerton Navy Yard Yellojackets 1
TD 1 - 2pt conversion
vs College of Puget Sound 2
TD's (50 yds/1 yd)
vs Oak Harbor 1 rush TD (1 yd)/ 1 rec
TD (22yds)
vs Fort Lewis Rockets 1 TD (15 yds)
vs Northwest College All Stars 1 rec TD
(45 yds)
1952 Seattle Ramblers Inspirational
Award (A gold watch from jeweler Frank Ursino.)
