Walter Johnson III (November 13, 1942 – June 30, 1999) 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 three-time Pro Bowler (1967, 1968, 1969), a pro wrestler, and played 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL).
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.
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 Brownsâ 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.
Johnson played for the Browns for the bulk of his career before finishing with the Cincinnati Bengals. Overall his NFL career spanned 13 seasons.
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 âÂÂthe best defensive tackle Cleveland has ever had.âÂÂ
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. Also worked in Detroit and New Japan Pro-Wrestling. He continued wrestling until 1984.
Johnson died on June 30, 1999, in Mayfield Heights, Ohio. ÃÂ
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.
Johnson's grandson Isaiah Johnson played college basketball at Akron.