Ian Johnson (American football)

Ian Johnson

refer to caption

2009 Vikings training camp
No. 28, 41
Position: Running Back
Personal information
Date of birth: (1986-10-10) October 10, 1986
Place of birth: Monrovia, California, U.S.
Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight: 217 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High school: La Verne (CA) Damien
College: Boise State
Undrafted: 2009
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
  • 1× First-team All-American (2006)
  • 2× First-team All-WAC (2006, 2007)
  • 1× Second-team All-WAC (2008)
Career NFL statistics
Player stats at NFL.com

Ian Blake Johnson (born October 10, 1986)[1] is an American football running back. He played college football at Boise State.

Early years

Born in Monrovia, California, Johnson attended Damien High School in La Verne, where he was a two-sport star in football and track. In football, he was named Inland Valley Offensive Player of the Year, L.A. Times All-San Gabriel Valley first team, San Gabriel Valley Tribune All-Area first team, Daily Bulletin Inland Valley All-Area Team, All-Sierra League MVP, and CIF Division II first-team all-league as a senior. Johnson was also a team captain for the Spartans and set Damien High School records in career rushing yards, season rushing yards (2,009 yards) and points scored (347). He was a high school teammate of Arena Football League star, Nick Davila.

Also an standout track & field athlete, Johnson was an All-Sierra League and All-CIF pick while competing in the 100-meter dash (11.17 s), 200-meter dash (23.03 s), and 4 × 100 m relay (43.38 s).

College career

Johnson was redshirted for the 2004 season. In 2005, he rushed for 1,445 yards, at that time the second-most by a freshman in Broncos history, scoring 14 touchdowns. In his illustrious career at BSU, Johnson ran for 6,030 yards and 58 touchdowns, surpassing Marshall Faulk to set a new WAC record for career rushing touchdowns.

The Broncos finished the 2006 regular season unbeaten (12–0) and became only the second team from outside the BCS conferences to play in a BCS bowl game. They played in the Fiesta Bowl against the Oklahoma Sooners, the year's Big 12 champion. Johnson scored the game-winning two-point conversion in overtime on a Statue of Liberty play to the left side. Boise State defeated Oklahoma 43–42, completing a perfect 13-0 season. Johnson rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown.

Johnson had been considered a dark horse Heisman Trophy candidate.[2] However, shortly after the announcement of his consideration for the Heisman Trophy, a collapsed lung sidelined Johnson for one game and hurt his chances of winning the Heisman. After the end of the 2006 regular season, he led NCAA Division I-A in scoring with 24 touchdowns.[3] On December 7, 2006, Sports Illustrated named Johnson to their 2006 All-American first team. This made Johnson the first Boise State athlete to be named to a major All-American team.[4] CBSSports.com also named him All-America in 2006. He was also named to the All-WAC team, won a Division I-A Offensive Player of the Week award, two WAC Offensive Player of the Week awards, and was a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award. Johnson ran an official 4.58 40-yard dash at Boise State.

Professional career

Pre-draft measureables

Pre-draft measurables
Ht Wt 40-yd dash 10-yd split 20-yd split 20-ss 3-cone Vert Broad BPWonderlic
5 ft 11¼ in 212 lb 4.46 s 1.46 s 2.55 s 4.18 s 6.86 s 33 in 9 ft 8 in 26 reps26
3-cone and broad jump from Boise State Pro Day, all others from NFL Combine.[5]

Minnesota Vikings

Johnson ran the fastest 40-yard dash time for a running back at the 2009 NFL Combine with a 4.46. He was signed as a free agent with the Minnesota Vikings.[6] In the fourth game of the preseason, Johnson ran for 2 touchdowns in 17 carries against the Dallas Cowboys. The following season, Johnson was waived by the Vikings on September 4, 2010.[7] He was re-signed to the practice squad two days later.[8]

Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals signed Johnson to their practice squad in on September 6, 2010,[9] and he was released three weeks later on September 27.[10]

Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions signed Johnson to their practice squad on November 17, 2010.[11] During the following season's training camp, he was released on September 3, 2011.[12]

Miami Dolphins

Johnson was signed to the Miami Dolphins' practice squad on September 12, 2011, released on December 14,[13] then signed back to the practice squad on December 29.[14]

Post Football Career

Johnson is an insurance agent through State Farm in Boise.[15]

Personal Life

Following the Fiesta Bowl in 2007, during an interview with Chris Myers, Johnson proposed to his girlfriend Chrissy Popadics, Boise State's head cheerleader, on Fox Sports' postgame coverage. She accepted and they married on July 28, 2007. According to Johnson, he received about 30 threatening letters which he handed over to the FBI, from people who objected to his nationally-televised marriage proposal at the end of the 2007 Fiesta Bowl.[16] Johnson, who is half-black, and Popadics, who is white, hired security for their wedding due to the threats.[17]

Motivational speaking

In November 2010, Ian Johnson joined Kituku and Associates in Boise as a motivational speaker and personal coach. Johnson will speak at schools, businesses, churches, and associations on turning dreams to reality, winning as a team, making the right choices, and overcoming challenges.

Radio career

Johnson joined Boise radio station KNFL (AM) "ESPN Boise 730/96.5" in February 2014.[18]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "California Births, 1905 - 1995". Familytreelegends.com. Retrieved 2013-04-02.
  2. ↑ "Boise State's Johnson a Heisman dark horse". Athlon. October 10, 2006.
  3. ↑ "Ian Johnson bio". Boise State University Sports Information. Retrieved November 4, 2006.
  4. ↑ "SI.com's All Americans". SI.com. December 7, 2006.
  5. ↑ "NFL Draft Scout". Google.com. Retrieved 2013-04-02.
  6. ↑ Voices.IdahoStatesman.com. "Ian Johnson, Vinny Perretta strike deals with Vikings; Childs to Chargers; Hawkins to Cowboys; O'Neill to Jaguars". Voices.IdahoStatesman.com. Retrieved 2013-04-02.
  7. ↑ "Vikings trimming the fat from roster | ProFootballTalk". Profootballtalk.nbcsports.com. 2010-09-04. Retrieved 2013-04-02.
  8. ↑ Jensen, Sean (2009-09-07). "Vikings sign quarterback John David Booty to practice squad". TwinCities.com. Retrieved 2013-04-02.
  9. ↑ "Mills, Johnson land jobs; Jets put in claim on Payne". StarTribune.com. Retrieved 2013-04-02.
  10. ↑
  11. ↑ Voices.IdahoStatesman.com. "Former BSU star Ian Johnson added to Detroit Lions practice squad". Voices.IdahoStatesman.com. Retrieved 2013-04-02.
  12. ↑ Twentyman, Tim (2013-03-29). "Lions establish 53-man roster". Detroitlions.com. Retrieved 2013-04-02.
  13. ↑ Alex Espinoza (2011-12-14). "jets.com | LB Wilhoite Added to P-Squad". Blog.49ers.com. Retrieved 2013-04-02.
  14. ↑ Miami Dolphins transactions December 2011
  15. ↑
  16. ↑ "College Football: Boise State's Johnson receives racial threats". The Seattle Times. July 25, 2007.
  17. ↑ "Fiesta Bowl Star Ian Johnson Has Hired Wedding Security".
  18. ↑ https://twitter.com/RickWorthington/status/434597997091897344
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