Rabbit, Bull, Bear, Beware

By Gordon Pynes

Yes, the headline certainly fits Richard “Bull” Johnson as you read through this article it will become clear. Johnson was one of the most accomplished and versatile Atlanta Rabbit football players in school history. As a player and coach, his career in Athletics spanned twenty years during the 1940’s and 50’s. I have been unable to find when and how Richard was first referred to as Bull during his adult life. Write ups in the local Citizens Journal during the 1940 and 1941 seasons refer to him as Richard or Dickie. At Baylor as a football freshman he is Bull and from then on.  

First mention of Richard in a 1940 football write up describes him as a “big powerhouse for the Rabbs”. His height and weight then were listed at 5’-10” and 200 pounds. A year later his weight had gone up to 220 pounds. As both a runner and passer he led the Rabbits to a 16 wins, 2 losses, and 2 ties in the 1940-41 seasons.  As a team co-captain in 1941, Johnson helped lead the Rabbits to their first District Football Championship since their beginning in the early 1920’s. He led all district scorers with 118 points.

I could find no reference to what offensive formation the Rabbs ran in those years but since Richard both ran and passed, my guess would be they were in the Single Wing. He no doubt got most of the snaps and the Rabbs rolled up 299 points in 1941. Johnson also played on defense and in a 1941 Rabbit 65-7 rout of Daingerfield, he scored 39 points which included running back 3 interceptions for touchdowns and adding 3 PAT’s. As the extra point kicker, he also was allowed to run for the point afters. Best as I can tell, this scoring performance is probably an all time record for Rabbit football scorers with the 39 in a single game.

Newspaper write ups of Johnson’s high school career described him as a “stellar back who ripped thru opponents lines carrying tacklers for yards before being downed”. Another mentioned that he “drew sideline predictions for a stellar college gridiron future with powerful plunges”. That prediction came true after the 1941 season when Richard chose to become a Baylor Bear in 1942. Why Baylor? He attended the Baptist Church, his 1941 coach Earl Wray was a Baylor grad and the Rabbit Football Banquet speaker happened to be the Bears Head Coach. Those are good clues.

Now referred to as “Bull”, Johnson would face a huge change as a player at Baylor. Listed then at 5’10” and 230 pounds, he was switched to be a center and defensive lineman. Before his career ended in 1947, Bull would serve the Bears mainly at center but also as a guard and tackle on offense. After playing on the Baylor Cubs freshmen team in 1942, World War II brought football to a halt in the Southwest Conference. Baylor, like many other schools, set up a Navy training program on campus. The Bears would not field another team until the 1945 season as the war came to an end. Bull enrolled in the naval training program in 1943 and was discharged in 1944.

Back to football in 1945, Bull was elected Co-Captain and was the leader of that Good Old Baylor Line. Richard played both ways and was the kickoff man that year. A strong leg would provide him a highlight of his career in Southwest Conference battles. Playing the last game of the season on December 1st against Rice in Houston, the Bears were tied 14-14 with 15 seconds left to play. With the ball on the Rice 25 yard line, the Bear coach sent Bull in to attempt a 42-yard field goal. He boomed it thru the uprights with 3 seconds left and a 17-14 upset of the Owls. Field goals and one of that distance were unheard of in that era.  His widow, Doris Johnson still has that winning football. In addition, Bull was touted as the most outstanding defensive player of the game making tackles all over for the Bears.

Bull had three outstanding varsity years at Baylor and was twice named an All - SWC center and as an honorable mention All American. His college career was topped off by his selection to play for the West team in the 1947 East-West Shrine Game in San Francisco. His West team patch and engraved watch hang framed at Mrs. Johnson’s home.

Pro football seemed next for Bull with two 1947 league drafts. The Chicago Bears drafted him but a then All-America Conference Buffalo Bills team drafted him higher at 71st. An interesting side note to that draft is that a University of Texas Fullback by the name of Tom Landry was drafted way behind Bull at 128th.  Landry went on to the NFL New York Giants and fame as coach of the Dallas Cowboys. I have found that Bull signed a contract with the Bills in January of 1948 but believe he passed up pro football.

Johnson next went to Sul Ross College in Alpine, Texas to earn a Masters Degree. While there he was hired as an Assistant Football Coach. There he met Dan Blocker from DeKalb who was a 6’-4” 300 pound Lineman for the Lobos. They developed a close lifetime friendship and you remember Blocker was soon to be Hoss Cartwright as a TV star in the popular Western “Bonanza”.

Completing his graduate requirements, Bull was hired to be Head Football Coach for Alpine High School and served during 1951-52. Johnson headed home to Atlanta to be the Rabbits head coach from 1955-59. He then taught and served as an administrator in Atlanta ISD until his death in 1982.

When Bull took over as Head Rabbits Coach in 1955, he and this year’s other inductee, Duncan Thompson, met as coaching opponents. Thompson was the coach at Linden with a 7-0 record when they came to play Atlanta at 3-4. Bull and the Rabbits prevailed with a 19-6 win. This is  another unique aspect within the careers of these two Rabbit greats.

I have talked to numerous local folks, five of his former Rabbit players and family members. None were very aware of Bull’s playing history. He was a humble, quiet man who never touted his outstanding playing days.

Few Rabbit football alums can match Richard “Bull” Johnson’s athletic career and he deserves to enter our Hall of Fame Class of 2024.