Billy Johnson (American football)
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| Position: | Wide receiver, return specialist | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth: | January 27, 1952 | ||||||||||||||
| Place of birth: | Boothwyn, Pennsylvania | ||||||||||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 170 lb (77 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school: | Chichester High School | ||||||||||||||
| College: | Widener | ||||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1974 / Round: 15 / Pick: 365 | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||||
| Punt return yards: | 3,317 |
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| Kickoff return yards: | 2,941 |
| Return touchdowns: | 8 |
| Receptions: | 337 |
| Receiving yards: | 4,211 |
| Receiving touchdowns: | 25 |
| Player stats at NFL.com | |
William Arthur Johnson (born January 27, 1952), better known as Billy "White Shoes" Johnson, is a former American football player who played in the National Football League (NFL) from 1974 through 1988. He is known for being one of the first players to display elaborate celebrations in the end zone.
Johnson earned his famous nickname as a high schooler at Chichester High School in Boothwyn, Pennsylvania, where he dyed his shoes as part of a dare. Ever since then, he has been referred to by his nickname. He was a very fast athlete, but his 5'9" size turned off prominent universities from recruiting him. Billy ended up going to Widener College in Pennsylvania, a small Division III school, where he was a member of Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity. While there, he had a highly successful career, but was barely noticed by professional scouts. He was eventually discovered by the Houston Oilers, who drafted him in the fifteenth round of the 1974 NFL Draft.
Johnson made the squad as a kickoff returner, with his speed and quickness becoming an occasional part of the offense. As a rookie, he began celebrating touchdowns with a dance known as the "Funky Chicken", a dance based on a song from soul singer Rufus Thomas. It was one of the first touchdown celebrations in league history. The dances, along with his footwear, made Johnson popular among Oilers fans.
As a kick returner, Johnson returned five punts for touchdowns, along with two kickoffs, in his first four years with the Oilers, and added 12 more touchdowns on offense. He was selected to the Pro Bowl as a kick returner in 1975, and was named MVP of the game, during which he returned a punt 90 yards for a touchdown. He made another Pro Bowl appearance in 1977. In 1978, he suffered a knee injury that caused him to miss most of the next two seasons and lingered with him for the rest of his career. When he returned in 1980, he was no longer the kick returner, serving only as a backup wide receiver.
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