Charles Johnson (February 17, 1952 – August 13, 2021) was an American professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
player who was a
defensive tackle
A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that will typically line up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the offensive guards, however he may also line up opposite one of the tackles. Defensive tackles are typically the la ...
for nine seasons in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL), primarily with the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
. He played in
Super Bowl XV
Super Bowl XV was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Oakland Raiders and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Philadelphia Eagles to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for ...
for the Eagles and was selected to three
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
s. Johnson's three
interception
In ball-playing competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for a player of the same team b ...
s in 1980 were remarkable because he was typically replaced by teammate Ken Clarke on passing downs. After serving with the U.S. Army in Vietnam, Johnson played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
for the
Colorado Buffaloes
The Colorado Buffaloes are the athletic teams that represent the University of Colorado. The university sponsors 17 varsity sports teams. Both the men's and women's teams are called the Buffaloes (Buffs for short) or, rarely, the Golden Buffalo ...
.
After three consecutive Pro Bowl seasons, in the 1982 Philadelphia Eagles training camp Johnson publicly criticized coach Dick Vermeil's training methods and asked to be traded. Both the Cleveland Browns and Minnesota Vikings showed interest, and Johnson chose to go to Minnesota, who sent a 1983 second-round selection to the Eagles in exchange for Johnson. Johnson would play three more seasons with the Vikings, and retired after the 1984 season.
Johnson died in
Angleton, Texas
Angleton is a city in and the county seat of Brazoria County, Texas, United States, within the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area. Angleton lies at the intersection of State Highway 288, State Highway 35, and the Union Pacifi ...
, on August 13, 2021, at the age of 69.
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References
1952 births
2021 deaths
American football defensive tackles
Tyler Apaches football players
Colorado Buffaloes football players
Philadelphia Eagles players
Minnesota Vikings players
National Conference Pro Bowl players
People from West Columbia, Texas
Players of American football from Brazoria County, Texas
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