{{Short description|American football player (born 1950)}} {{For|Bristol Palin's former fiancé|Levi Johnston}} {{For|the fictional character, Levi Johnson|This Country}} {{Use American English|date=August 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox NFL biography | name = Levi Johnson | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | number = 23 | position = Cornerback | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1950|10|30}} | birth_place = Corpus Christi, Texas, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 3 | weight_lb = 196 | high_school = Roy Miller (TX) | college = Texas A&I | draftyear = 1973 | draftround = 3 | draftpick = 75 | pastteams = * Detroit Lions ({{NFL Year|1973|1978}}) | highlights = * First-team Little All-American (1971) | statlabel1 = Interceptions | statvalue1 = 21 | statlabel2 = Interception yards | statvalue2 = 549 | statlabel3 = Fumble recoveries | statvalue3 = 4 | statlabel4 = Total TDs | statvalue4 = 5 | pfr = J/JohnLe23 }}
'''Levi Johnson''' (born October 30, 1950) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback for five seasons with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas A&I Javelinas. He had 21 interceptions in less than five years as an NFL player, returning three for touchdowns.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nfl.com/player/levijohnson/2517707/profile|title = Levi Johnson Stats, News and Video - DB}}</ref>
Johnson led the Lions with five interceptions during the 1973 NFL season<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/det/1973.htm|title=1973 Detroit Lions Statistics & Players}}</ref> and the 1974 NFL season, returning two for touchdowns in 1974, including one on Thanksgiving Day against the Denver Broncos.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.metrotimes.com/sports/archives/2014/11/27/end-of-an-era|title=End of an era|access-date=2017-10-24|archive-date=2018-11-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181129033845/https://www.metrotimes.com/sports/archives/2014/11/27/end-of-an-era|url-status=dead}}</ref>
He added another touchdown during the 1975 NFL season against the Green Bay Packers. During the season-opener, he blocked two punts and fell on one in the end zone for the score. Teammate Larry Ball picked up Johnson's other blocked punt and returned it 34 yards for another touchdown.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1975/09/22/archives/4-field-goals-help-cowboys-win-187.html|title = 4 Field Goals Help Cowboys Win, 18‐7|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 22 September 1975|last1 = Rogers|first1 = Thomas}}</ref>
Johnson had a career-high six interceptions in 1976, and was second on the team that season, one behind James Hunter.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/det/1976.htm|title=1976 Detroit Lions Statistics & Players}}</ref> He also scored the final touchdown of his career, picking off Jim Zorn of the expansion Seattle Seahawks and returning it 70 yards for the score.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/10/25/archives/bengal-defense-excels-in-277-defeat-of-oilers.html|title = Bengal Defense Excels in 27‐7 Defeat of Oilers|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 25 October 1976|last1 = Grosky|first1 = Reid}}</ref>
Johnson had two interceptions in the 1977 NFL season's third game, against the Philadelphia Eagles, but sustained a knee injury and never played again in the NFL.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1977/10/04/archives/allens-wornout-redskins-thrive.html|title = Allen's 'Worn Out' Redskins Thrive|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 4 October 1977|last1 = Wallace|first1 = William N.}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}} {{Lions1973DraftPicks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Levi}} Category:1950 births Category:Living people Category:American football defensive backs Category:Texas A&M–Kingsville Javelinas football players Category:Detroit Lions players Category:Players of American football from Corpus Christi, Texas Category:20th-century American sportsmen
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