Larry Johnson

Larry Alphonso Johnson Jr. (born November 19, 1979) is a former American football National Football League (NFL) running back. He played college football for Penn State University, and was 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. Early years 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 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. College career 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 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 fewer than Johnson's 251). He averaged 8.0 yards per carry during the regular season. 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. Following his 2002 senior season, Johnson was a first-team All-Big Ten selection and a unanimous first-team All-American. He also won the Doak Walker Award (top running back), the Maxwell Award (top college player), and the Walter Camp Award (top college player). Johnson rushed for 2,159 yards and 29 touchdowns. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in integrative arts from Penn State in 2002.