Essex Johnson
| No. 19 | |||||||||||
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Date of birth: | October 15, 1946 | ||||||||||
| Place of birth: | Shreveport, Louisiana | ||||||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 201 lb (91 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| College: | Grambling State | ||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1968 / Round: 6 / Pick: 156 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||
| Carries: | 722 |
|---|---|
| Rushing yards: | 3,236 |
| Average: | 4.5 |
| Rushing touchdowns: | 19 |
| Player stats at NFL.com | |
Essex L. Johnson (born October 15, 1946) is a former professional American football running back for eight seasons for the Cincinnati Bengals and one season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Johnson played defensive back/wingback at Grambling State University for legendary coach Eddie Robinson. By his final season in 1967 he helped lead the team to three consecutive Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) titles.
In 2012, Johnson was inducted into the Grambling Legends Sports Hall of Fame.
Johnson was drafted in the 6th round (156th overall) of the 1968 Common Draft by the expansion Cincinnati Bengals. Although he was drafted as a defensive back, he was converted to halfback once in the NFL.
In his rookie year of 1968, the Bengals' first season in the American Football League, he played in all 14 games, primarily as a backup to running backs Paul Robinson (American football) and Jess Phillips. He scored his first professional touchdown in the Bengals' first-ever win (in their second game). In the fourth quarter, he had a 35-yard touchdown run through the middle as the Bengals downed the Denver Broncos, 24-10.
For the season, Johnson rushed for 178 yards on only 26 attempts (a 6.8 average) and three touchdowns plus one reception for 33 yards. He also returned 22 punts for 122 yards (a 5.0 average) and he returned 14 kicks for 266 yards (a 19.0 average).
In 1969, he played in 12 games and rushed for 54 yards in 15 attempts (a 3.6 average) and caught one pass for three yards. He returned 17 punts for 85 yards (a 5.0 average) and he returned 16 kicks for 362 yards, a 22.6 average.
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