As one of Athens’ most notable high school football legends, Andy Johnson's time at Athens High School was spent on the football field at the quarterback and running back positions. A prolific rusher, Johnson was the 1969 AJC Class 3A Back of the Year and made the Senior Scholastic All-American team after leading the Trojans to a co-championship in Georgia’s highest classification. During his senior campaign, he rushed for 1,178 yards and passed for 1,251 yards. In the championship game against the heavily-favored Valdosta Wildcats, Johnson scored on a 68-yard run on the final play of the first half and threw for a touchdown late in the game to come within two. He then passed for the game-tying two-point conversion for a share of the title. At the University of Georgia, he led the Bulldogs to an 11-1 finish his sophomore year and finished his college career as one of the top five rushing quarterbacks in SEC history with 21 rushing touchdowns. He was selected in the 1974 NFL Draft by New England in the fifth round and played eight seasons as a running back for the Patriots. In 2007, he was ranked the No. 13 Georgia high school football player of all time by the AJC. Johnson passed away in his Athens home in 2018 at age 65.
