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Varsity [229]
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John Johnson #12
Mar 22, 2016, 12:57 PM
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Old Tigers remember #12 John Johnson ? He was really something on the football field. Any one know what became of him ?
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110%er [7110]
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I remember
Mar 22, 2016, 12:59 PM
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Late 80's LB, very representative of the scary good defenses that Coach Ford had here in those days. I hope he is doing well.
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Heisman Winner [133681]
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Re: I remember
Mar 22, 2016, 2:54 PM
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Kirkland...played against him in 85. I still hurt and have a deep bruise he kind of left. Felt like I was branded or something.
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Orange Blooded [4403]
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6 yrs in NFL, Niners, Bengals, Saints
Mar 22, 2016, 1:06 PM
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Hell of a LBer. Him, Levon, Ed McDaniel, Ashley Sheppard, Wayne Simmons........scary LB talent back then. All played in League. '89 and '90 defenses were absurd. Best athletes on team and on field against anyone. Our losses back then were due to offense stagnating.
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110%er [6403]
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Re: 6 yrs in NFL, Niners, Bengals, Saints
Mar 22, 2016, 2:07 PM
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Those guys played with Vance Hammond, David Davis, and Chester McGlockton on the line. Together, they were the among the best ever at Clemson.
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110%er [5040]
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Oooooohhhhhhhh
Mar 22, 2016, 2:39 PM
[ in reply to 6 yrs in NFL, Niners, Bengals, Saints ] |
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That group of names you just mentioned right there still gives me the shivers. Those dudes were EVERYWHERE on the field. I believe I saw John Johnson back near the safety area making plays once.
The ultimate group of pure linebackers.
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Orange Blooded [4403]
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IMO, the '89 and '90 defenses remain the best I have
Mar 22, 2016, 3:03 PM
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ever seen with a Paw on their helmets, including '81 and the last two years. Give those two teams any explosion on offense we would have won back to back NC's easily. Watching them was like watching fast wild dogs on the attack downhill.
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110%er [6877]
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I bet Todd Ellis remembers him from 1988 game.***
Mar 22, 2016, 1:58 PM
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Associate AD [833]
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Re: John Johnson #12
Mar 22, 2016, 3:03 PM
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I ran into him at breakfast in the hotel the morning after that Orange Bowl. Great guy who was there with his family supporting the Tigers. He lives in Spartanburg. Always remember when he picked us over the dawgs. 
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Trainer [46]
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Alive and well in LaGrange GA
Mar 22, 2016, 3:22 PM
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John Johnson now lives around LaGrange GA. Owns his own photography studio.
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null [null]
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Re: Alive and well in LaGrange GA
Mar 22, 2016, 3:58 PM
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He is the reason the NCAA instituted the dead period before signing day. He was committed to UGA and on signing day signed with Clemson. Vince Dooley was so upset he lobbied for the dead period.
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110%er [7219]
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Re: Alive and well in LaGrange GA
Mar 22, 2016, 4:12 PM
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He actually stayed with his cousin the night before signing day so that (Georgia) coaches would not be able to find him and not hassle him. Dooley reported Clemson to the NCAA over this because they thought we "hid" him from Georgia. My roommate was a G.A. for the football team at the time and his main job was recruiting (and he was #### good at it). He knew the whole story and told me about it the day Johnson signed. The Georgia coaches call our staff with some choice words, the Clemson staff was just laughing about it.
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MVP [542]
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Re: John Johnson #12
Mar 22, 2016, 6:33 PM
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I went to Clemson from '88-'92 and used to tutor Wayne Simmons while my roommate was in Tiger Brotherhood with Levon Kirkland so we used to know all the LB's really well: Ed McDaniel, Doug Brewster, John Johnson, Ashley Shepherd, Dorian Mariable, Vince Taylor...seriously one of the sickest LB corps I've ever seen. If I remember (don't know if they still do) Sporting News used to do a "Top 3 Position Grouping" before every season and the Clemson LBs were picked #1 one of those years.
Wayne and Ashley used to go out with me and my roommates a good bit, and my one roommate loved to talk #### on those nights because we had 2 monsters with us, think Wayne was like 6'3 235 and Ashley was 6'5 248. Wayne sadly died in a car crash, saw Ashley at the FSU game in I think it was 2011 and he didn't look any different, dude was gigantic with a neck as wide as his head. Wayne was nicknamed "money" the moment he walked on campus because it was clear he'd be a top NFL draft pick having been both Mr. Football and Mr. Basketball (I believe) in South Carolina his senior year. The Packers ended up drafting him in the first round with the sole purpose of covering Brent Jones as that was back when the 9ers and Packers were battling for the SB each year.
Bar none a few years there of the best D's I've ever seen at Clemson.
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MVP [542]
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Re: John Johnson #12
Mar 22, 2016, 6:35 PM
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If you get a chance, find the clip of the INT Wayne had against FSU in Tally in '89...I was at that game, year after we had the miserable Punt Rooskie loss, we went down to Tally and beat them up and down the field, best road win ever.
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MVP [542]
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Re: John Johnson #12
Mar 22, 2016, 6:47 PM
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If someone can find that clip please post, in the meantime I found this...kind of classic as Amp Lee was an FSU grad, but it shows you the sheer size, power, and attitude Wayne played with:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqbcj0dg5AE
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