Walter Ulysses Johnson (born November 13, 1963) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Houston Oilers and New Orleans Saints. He played college football for the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs.
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| Position: | Linebacker | ||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Born: | November 13, 1963 Monroe, Louisiana, U.S. | ||||
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||
| Weight: | 241 lb (109 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school: | Ferriday (LA) | ||||
| College: | Louisiana Tech | ||||
| NFL draft: | 1987 / round: 2 / pick: 46 | ||||
| Career history | |||||
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| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||
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Early life
editJohnson attended Ferriday High School, where he was a defensive end. He also practiced basketball and track. He accepted a football scholarship from Louisiana Tech University.
As a sophomore in 1984, he registered 76 tackles, 11 sacks and 2 blocked kicks. He contributed to the team winning the Southland Conference and reaching the Division I-AA National championship game, where they lost 19–6 against Montana State University.[1]
He blocked 4 kicks as a junior. He was moved from defensive end to outside linebacker as a senior.
He started every game of his college career, finishing with 327 tackles, 38 sacks (school record), 23 pass break ups, 12 forced fumbles and 6 fumble recoveries.[2]
In 2013, he was inducted into the Louisiana Tech University Athletic Hall of Fame.[3] He also was named to the Louisiana Tech All-Century football team.
Professional career
editJohnson was selected by the Houston Oilers in the second round (46th overall) of the 1987 NFL draft.[4] He was a backup at outside linebacker and special teams player for two seasons.
In 1989, he was signed as a Plan B free agent by the New Orleans Saints. He was a backup at outside linebacker behind Pat Swilling. He had 3 tackles and one blocked extra point.
In 1990, he signed as a Plan B free agent with the Dallas Cowboys, with the intention of playing him at defensive end. He was released on August 26.
In 1991, he signed as a free agent with the New Orleans Saints. He was released on August 26.[5]
Personal life
editJohnson volunteers as an assistant football coach at Ferriday High School. He owns a convenience store.
References
edit- ^ "1984 Tech Team to be Honored at Halftime". Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- ^ "LA Tech Hall of Fame Class of 2013: Walter Johnson". Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- ^ "LA Tech Athletic Hall of Fame". Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- ^ "1987 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
- ^ "Transactions". New York Times. Retrieved January 12, 2019.