When we talk about the best running backs to come through the WPIAL over the last 25 or 30 years, there are certain names that always come up.

But there’s one name I don’t hear nearly enough.

Andrew Johnson.

And I think part of the reason is simple: people forget just how much of a monster this dude was.

Johnson was one of those rare high school running backs where the numbers almost didn’t tell the entire story. You had to actually see him.

He had size. He had power. He had legitimate track speed. And when he got into the open field, you weren’t catching him.

What made Johnson different to me was the combination. There have been plenty of fast running backs in Western Pennsylvania. There have been plenty of physical running backs.

Johnson was both.

At around 6 feet and 200-plus pounds as a high school prospect, he wasn’t some little scatback who was going to avoid contact all night. He could run through you, but if he got a crease, he had the speed to turn a routine run into six points.

That speed wasn’t football folklore, either.

Johnson won the WPIAL Class AAA 100-meter championship in both 2003 and 2004, running 10.80 and then 10.73. North Hills still lists him as its school-record holder in the 100 meters, and he was also a Pennsylvania state champion in the event.

Think about that for a second.

You’re talking about a running back built to take punishment between the tackles who was also one of the fastest high school sprinters in Pennsylvania.

That’s a problem.

 

The Recruiting Rankings Tell You How Highly He Was Thought Of

Sometimes when we look back at WPIAL players from 20 or 30 years ago, people exaggerate how highly recruited they were.

There’s no exaggeration necessary with Andrew Johnson. He was legitimately considered one of the best running backs in the country.

Rivals rated Johnson the No. 82 overall player nationally and No. 9 running back in the country. Current historical recruiting data also places him among the top 10 running backs in the 2004 class.

And look at the era we’re talking about.

The 2004 running back class included Adrian Peterson and Marshawn Lynch. Johnson was swimming in that type of recruiting pool.

Miami’s own scouting information said Johnson had been consistently timed under 4.4 in the 40, could bench 300 pounds, squat 450 and had a 36-inch vertical. They described him as having breakaway speed while still being able to run with authority inside.

That’s why Miami wanted him. Not Miami of Ohio. The University of Miami.

This was still The U.

Johnson chose Miami over programs that included Pitt, Florida, Ohio State and UCLA.  That should tell younger people how highly regarded this dude was.

 

His High School Production Was Serious Too

Johnson finished his high school career with 3,670 rushing yards and 54 touchdowns.

As a sophomore, he ran for 1,690 yards and 23 touchdowns despite missing two games. His junior season was affected by a severe ankle injury, but he still rushed for 704 yards. Then, after moving from Central Catholic to North Hills, Johnson rushed for 1,276 yards on 220 carries with 21 touchdowns as a senior in 2003.

He earned Associated Press All-State honors and was selected to both the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Fabulous 22 and Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Terrific 25.

And go back and look at that 2003 Fab 22.

Andrew Johnson was on a list with Darrelle Revis, Justin King, Eugene Jarvis, Anthony Morelli, Scott McKillop, A.Q. Shipley, Devon Lyons and Mortty Ivy.

That era of WPIAL football had some ridiculous talent.  Johnson belonged right in the middle of it.

 

People Remember the Speed. I Remember the Physicality.

This is the part that gets lost.

When somebody tells you a running back was a state-champion sprinter, you automatically picture somebody trying to get outside and outrun everybody.

That wasn’t the whole Andrew Johnson experience.

He could get physical. He had the body to run between the tackles, absorb contact and keep moving. Then you had to worry about him putting his foot in the ground, exploding through the hole and suddenly having 100-meter championship speed in your secondary.

That’s a nightmare for a high school defense.

And that’s why I think his name deserves to be mentioned more often when we’re discussing the great WPIAL running backs of his generation.

 

Injuries Changed the College Story

Unfortunately, his college career is probably part of the reason younger fans don’t understand how special the high school version of Andrew Johnson was.

Johnson went to Miami and played immediately as a true freshman, but he tore the ACL in his right knee during bowl preparation in December 2004.

He eventually returned, and Miami still described him as an extremely talented running back with exceptional burst and breakaway ability after the injury. He later transferred to Akron.

Sometimes that’s sports. A player can be one of the most talented athletes in his class and one injury can completely change the trajectory.

But what happened afterward shouldn’t change what he was when he was dominating Western Pennsylvania.

 

Put Some Respect on Andrew Johnson’s Name

When I think about Andrew Johnson, I think people have forgotten how complete the package really was.

Over 3,600 career rushing yards. 54 touchdowns. State-champion speed. Back-to-back WPIAL 100-meter championships. National Top 100 recruit. Top-10 running back in America. Scholarship to Miami.

And he wasn’t just running away from people. He could run through them too.

Andrew Johnson was a monster.

If we’re going to preserve WPIAL history and give the great players from different eras their flowers, his name absolutely belongs in the conversation.

Because anybody who actually watched Andrew Johnson in his prime knows:

That combination of size, physicality and speed was different.