Walter Johnson (defensive tackle)

Walter Johnson III (November 13, 1942 – June 30, 1999)^[1] was an American professional football defensive tackle who was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the second round of the 1965 NFL draft. He was a 3-time Pro Bowler (1967, 1968, 1969), a pro wrestler, and played 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL).

Walter Johnson

No. 71, 78
Position	Defensive tackle
Personal information
Born	(1942-11-13)November 13, 1942 Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
Died	June 30, 1999(1999-06-30) (aged 56) Mayfield Heights, Ohio, U.S.
Height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight	265 lb (120 kg)
Career information
High school	Robert A. Taft (Cincinnati, Ohio)
College	New Mexico State Los Angeles State
NFL draft	1965: 2nd round, 27th overall pick
AFL draft	1965: Red Shirt 2nd round, 9th overall pick
Career history
Cleveland Browns (1965–1976) Cincinnati Bengals (1977)
Awards and highlights
Second-team All-Pro (1968) 3× Pro Bowl (1967–1969) Cleveland Browns Legends First-team Little All-American (1964) Second-team All-PCC (1964)
Career NFL statistics
Sacks 68.0 Safeties 1 Interceptions 2 Fumble recoveries 11 Stats at Pro Football Reference

Early life and college

Walter Johnson was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. He attended Robert A. Taft High School in Cincinnati, where he excelled in football, basketball, and track & field. According to a retrospective profile, Johnson played fullback in high school and also threw the shot put and discus for his track team, setting a Cincinnati area shot-put record.

He went on to play at the college level for New Mexico State and Los Angeles State (now California State LA). In college he was recognized as a First-team Little All-American and earned other honors for his performance.

Professional football career

Draft and Cleveland Browns

Johnson was selected in the second round of the 1965 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns (27th overall) and in the 1965 AFL Redshirt Draft as well.

He joined the Browns’ defensive line and would become a key fixture in their front-seven. He started all 14 regular season games at left defensive tackle in 1968.

Career highlights & statistics

• Johnson was a three-time Pro Bowl selection: 1967, 1968, 1969.  
• According to Pro-Football-Reference, he recorded 68 sacks in his career.  
• He played in 182 regular season games (according to PFR).  
• In 1968, the Browns made the playoffs, capturing the NFL Century Division title. Johnson’s role on the defensive line was cited in team summaries.  

Later career and Cincinnati Bengals

Johnson played for the Browns for the bulk of his career before finishing with the Cincinnati Bengals. Overall his NFL career spanned 13 seasons.

Style and reputation

Johnson earned praise for his physical strength, durability, and consistency. A college Hall of Fame page notes that former Browns coach Dick Modzelewski called him “the best defensive tackle Cleveland has ever had.”

Professional wrestling

In addition to his football career, Walter Johnson participated in professional wrestling starting around 1968. He reportedly wrestled under his name in territories including Detroit and with New Japan Pro Wrestling. His most famous match happened on February 16, 1974, against linebacker Ron Pritchard. Johnson won by disqualification.^[2] Also worked in Detroit and New Japan Pro-Wrestling. He continued wrestling until 1984.

Personal life and death

Walter Johnson passed away on June 30, 1999 in Mayfield Heights, Ohio.  

Legacy

Johnson's grandson Josh Johnson played football at Iowa Central Community College and later transferred to Hampton University where he finished his college football career, while earning a degree in psychology. https://hamptonpirates.com/sports/football/roster/josh-johnson/665

Johnson's grandson Isaiah Johnson played college basketball at Akron.^[3]

Championships and accomplishments

• NWA Hollywood Wrestling
  • NWA Americas Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

See also

• List of gridiron football players who became professional wrestlers