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FB Pete Johnson (OSU HOF, Pro Bowl, All-Pro)

Helpinghand

All-American
I was out having a few adult beverages last night with Pete Johnson. I mentioned to him that I was watching an old OSU / USC retovision game a few weeks ago. I said that Keith Jackson said during the game, that Woody Hayes said that Pete was not much of practice player, but was a gamer. Pete adamantly denied that was ever said.
 
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I would believe what Willie had to say on this one. I would seriously doubt that Coach Hayes would publicly share such a sentiment on any player.

Hey "HH" Does anybody close to "Pete" ever refer to him as "Willie?" If so, how does he react to it?
 
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Pete Johnson!

So I picked the last thread on this board and just thought I'd add to it. I don't really remember much about Pete Johnson playing for the Buckeyes from when I was a kid. But I do remember him playing for the Bengals, where he was still really tough and a great NFL back.

Pete Johnson Career Stats:
#14-- All time Career Rushing Leader at OSU (not bad for the other guy behind Archie)
#1-- 5 Rushing Touchdowns in one game vs. NC in 1974.
#1-- 25 Rushing Touchdowns in one season: 1975
#1-- 56 Rushing Touchdown in career.
PJ and AG had 4 games where they both gained 100+ yards and one game with 150 each.

From what I heard and remember, Archie and Co. would drive the field and gain all of the yardage and Pete was the short yardage/red zone back to hammer the ball in. Man, opposing teams must have shivered when they saw him come in the game!:biggrin:

Go Bucks!
 
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PeteJohnson.jpg


Pete Johnson

If ever there was a match made in heaven it was Woody Hayes and Pete Johnson. Hayes loved bruising fullbacks, and if ever there was a bruising fullback that would get you the yard you needed, it was Pete Johnson. For his part, Johnson simply adored Hayes as a man, a coach, a teacher and a mentor.

"All about Coach Hayes. He was one of the greatest men that ever walked this planet. He just lived for people," said Johnson when asked his thoughts on being named to the Hall of Fame.

Johnson is proud of his election to the Hall of Fame, but knows what his coach would say to him today if he were here to see his induction.

"Knowing him he'd say don't let this change you in any way.

"I remember in the North Carolina game I scored five touchdowns and had 140 yards and Coach Hayes called me over to his table at brunch and said 'Son, did you see the paper his morning?

"I said 'Yes sir.'

"He said 'They had a lot of good things to say about you, didn't they?'

"I said 'Yes sir.'

"He said 'If you were smart you'd find that reporter and kick him dead in his behind. When they say good things about you it makes you weak, but it's not going to make you weak.'

"I said 'No sir!' He was just always on top of everything. He wasn't going to give you a chance to get the big head. If you did great things he was going to give you the accolades about it, but he wasn't going to let you get the big head."

Johnson still doesn't have that big head, though in his career at Ohio State he probably earned the right to just a little gloating. He was a part of three Big Ten championships. As a junior in 1975 he led the nation in scoring with a Big Ten and school record 26 touchdowns. During that same season he also set an OSU individual scoring record with 30 points against Illinois. He scored 156 points that season to set another OSU record. His 348 points on 58 touchdowns is still second all time at OSU. In his senior season he earned Academic All-Big Ten and Academic All-American honors.

To this day, Johnson says his thoughts turn to his coach on OSU game days.

"I was driving with Coach Hayes going to a game one day and looked at Coach and I said 'Coach, see those people tailgating, one day you can come to my tailgate. I'm going to have the biggest tailgate here.'

"He was like 'Son, we've got a football game to play, and you're thinking about tailgating?'

"Now I do do the biggest tailgate party here and I do look up and say 'OK Coach, you're still here with me.'"

http://www.the-ozone.net/football/2007/halloffame.htm
 
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I know one thing for sure, when Pete "Pud" Johnson tailgates, he must have the biggest lounge chair made!! Pete must be going about 350 pounds, huh?

Some friends of mine played basketball against him on the playgrounds back when he was in school, said Pete DUNKED on them.

What a stud.
 
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Congrats to Pete on his induction into the Hall of Fame yesterday!

We could still use him in short yardage situations.

HALL OF FAMERS: Ohio State?s 2007 Hall of Fame class was introduced at halftime.The inductees included: Andy Dumpis (volleyball), Ivan Gilbert (fencing), Marv Homan (administration), Pete Johnson (football), Susan Mallery (track/cross country), Kristy Dascoli (tennis), Yalena Kalkina (fencing), Conny Kirsch (rowing) and Anna Smith (softball).

Tribune-Chronicle

Funny feeling under foot
Pete Johnson gained tough yards on tough turf for the Buckeyes during the 1970s, when he became the career rushing touchdown leader with 56. The Horseshoe's artificial turf was like green cement when Johnson played, which explains why the former fullback thought the new FieldTurf felt too soft under his feet.

"It feels too funny for me, just walking across it," said Johnson, who was one of nine former athletes/administrators honored during halftime for their induction into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame.

Johnson also wondered about the Buckeyes playing in-state schools, adding that Woody Hayes never risked losing to them, because he refused to play them.

"Coach Hayes didn't like playing teams like Akron, because if you beat them you were supposed to, or it's a close game and it wasn't supposed to be," Johnson said.

BuckeyeXtra - The Columbus Dispatch : Busy day for Akron's punter
 
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1/18/2008
Former OSU, Bengals player indicted
BREANNE PARCELS
Staff Writer


A former Ohio State University and NFL standout charged with theft missed an arraignment hearing in Champaign County on Jan. 4 and his whereabouts are unknown, according to court records.

Pete Johnson, 53, who has a last known address of 3737 Pendlestone Drive, Columbus, was indicted on one count of passing bad checks and one count of grand theft of a motor vehicle, as reported in the Daily Citizen on Wednesday, Dec. 19.

The charges stem from a Mechanicsburg Police Department investigation into a bad check complaint from Dave Kehl Chevrolet, said Sgt. Mark Randall.

Johnson allegedly wrote a check for $13,300 for a Dodge pickup truck in September 2007.

"My understanding was he bought it for resale," Randall said.

The title was transferred to a car lot Johnson allegedly operates and the truck was sold to a private individual.

Kehl reported the check was returned by the bank when he tried to cash it due to non-sufficient funds in Johnson's account, and he sent a registered letter to Johnson on Sept. 13 advising Johnson he had 10 days to pay Kehl.

Kehl made the report to police on Nov. 2, after repeated attempts to contact Johnson.

He was indicted on Dec. 17 and scheduled to be arraigned Jan. 4, but did not appear in court after the Franklin County sheriff failed to serve Johnson with a summons on Dec. 20 because he had moved from the Pendlestone Drive address.

The arraignment in Champaign County Common Pleas Court was rescheduled for Jan. 22 at 11 a.m.

Former OSU, Bengals player indicted
 
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I knew Pete when he was an Ohio State player. He was the kind of guy who made sure he returned your pencil when he borrowed it and he didn't take anything for granted or make himself out to be better than anyone else.

This sounds very much out of character to me. I would be very surprised if he set out to defraud someone.
 
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Johnson arraignment rescheduled again
BREANNE PARCELS
Staff Writer


An arraignment hearing for a former college and pro football star accused of bilking a Mechanicsburg car dealership was postponed Tuesday in Champaign County Common Pleas Court.

Pete Johnson, 53, of Columbus, was initially scheduled for arraignment on Jan. 4 after he was indicted by a Champaign County grand jury Dec. 17 on one count of passing bad checks and one count of grand theft of a motor vehicle.

Johnson claimed to have no knowledge of the criminal case when contacted on Jan. 18 by the Daily Citizen, but Franklin County sheriff's deputies served him before Tuesday with a summons to appear, according to court records. His arraignment was rescheduled again to Jan. 29.

The charges stem from a Mechanicsburg Police Department investigation into a bad check complaint from Dave Kehl Chevrolet, said Sgt. Mark Randall.

Johnson allegedly wrote a check for $13,300 for a Dodge pickup truck in September 2007.

"My understanding was he bought it for resale," Randall said.

The title was transferred to a car lot Johnson allegedly operates and the truck was sold to a private individual.

Kehl reported the check was returned by the bank when he tried to cash it due to non-sufficient funds in Johnson's account, and he sent a registered letter to Johnson on Sept. 13 advising Johnson he had 10 days to pay Kehl.

Kehl made the report to police on Nov. 2, after repeated attempts to contact Johnson.

Johnson arraignment rescheduled again
 
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