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.'"