Ron Johnson

Birthdate: October 17, 1947
Death Date: November 10, 2018
NJ Town Affiliation: Summit

Ron Johnson made history at the University of Michigan by setting an NCAA single-game record with 347 rushing yards on 31 carries (11.2 yards per carry) against Wisconsin. He was the first African-American captain in school history.

Drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 1969, he was traded to the New York Giants in 1970 where he quickly became a fan favorite as the first player in franchise history to rush for 1,000 yards. Notably, his two 1,000-yard seasons were the only winning seasons for the Giants between 1964 and 1980. Recently, he was honored as one of the Top 100 players in Giants’ history.

After retiring, Johnson founded Rackson Corporation, a food service company that owned and operated 29 Kentucky Fried Chicken franchises in New Jersey, Michigan, and Tennessee. He was also actively involved in community outreach, charitable projects, and coaching his children’s various sports teams.

His legacy endures, marked by inductions into various Hall of Fames and now continues with his Induction into the Class of 2024 New Jersey Hall of Fame!