Larry Johnson (running back)
Johnson with the Chiefs in 2006
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| No. 34, 27, 23 | |||||||||
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Date of birth: | November 19, 1979 | ||||||||
| Place of birth: | Pomfret, Maryland | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 235 lb (107 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | State College (PA) Area | ||||||||
| College: | Penn State | ||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2003 / Round: 1 / Pick: 27 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||
| Rushing yards: | 6,223 |
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| Average: | 4.4 |
| Rushing touchdowns: | 55 |
| Player stats at NFL.com | |
Larry Alphonso Johnson Jr. (born November 19, 1979) is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Penn State University, and was recognized as a unanimous All-American. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft, and also played for the Cincinnati Bengals, Washington Redskins and Miami Dolphins of the NFL.
Johnson was born in Pomfret, Maryland. He was one of three children born to Christine and Larry Johnson, Sr.. His father is a former high school vice-principal, a high school football coach, former defensive line coach at Penn State University, and the current defensive line coach at The Ohio State University. Johnson graduated from State College Area High School in State College, Pennsylvania, where he played for the State College Little Lions high school football team.
Johnson attended Pennsylvania State University, and played for coach Joe Paterno's Penn State Nittany Lions football team from 1999 to 2002. As a senior in 2002, he rushed for over 2,000 yards in a season without winning the Heisman Trophy, despite doing so with fewer carries than any other running back in the exclusive 2,000-yard club (This record was broken on November 22, 2014 by Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon, who gained 2,000 yards on 241 carries-10 less than Johnson's 251). He averaged 8.0 yards per carry during the regular season, a mark that would have been an NCAA record. However, by 2002 the NCAA had begun counting bowl games toward statistical totals, and Johnson's performance against Auburn in the postseason (20 carries for 72 yards) brought his average to just below the record of 7.8 held by 1983 Heisman Trophy winner Mike Rozier. Johnson broke the Penn State record for rushing yards in a game three times in 2002. His 257 yards in a 49–0 home thrashing of Northwestern broke Curt Warner's previous record of 256 yards set against Syracuse in 1981. He then went on to rack up 279 yards in an 18–7 home win against Illinois and 327 yards in a 58–25 road win against Indiana. He surpassed the 2,000-yard mark by gaining 279 yards on just 19 attempts in the Penn State Nittany Lions' final Big Ten Conference game against Michigan State. Johnson gained all 279 of his rushing yards in the first half, and was kept on the bench for the entire second half of the game. He finished the 2002 season with 2,087 yards.
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