Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 1977
- Class:
- 1940
Harvey Johnson is remembered in the annals of Mississippi State as a hero – not only for his three seasons on the gridiron, but also for his military service in World War II.
Johnson came to Starkville as a sophomore after playing a season of junior college football. Rejected by his home-state schools of Alabama and Auburn for being “too slow to play single-wing tailback,” he played with a chip on his shoulder and made an immediate impact. He rushed for 129 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries in 1938.
Coach Allyn McKeen took over the football program in 1939, and Johnson excelled under his guidance. He totaled 592 yards and nine touchdowns on 87 carries, leading the SEC in scoring with 62 points and being named All-SEC. He also set a program record with an 80-yard punt return against Howard College (now Samford University).
Johnson put together his highest rushing total on the 1940 squad that finished 10-0-1 with an Orange Bowl victory and the highest final ranking in program history at No. 9. He ran for 721 yards and three touchdowns on 117 carries and was named Second Team All-SEC. Especially sweet for Johnson was a 13-0 road shutout at No. 17 Alabama to conclude the regular season.
He remained in Starkville as an assistant coach under McKeen for the 1941 season that saw the Maroons win the program’s first and only SEC Championship.
One day after a season-ending victory at San Francisco, Pearl Harbor was attacked, and Johnson enlisted in the United States Air Force. While piloting a bombing mission in the South Pacific in mid-1944, he was killed in action.
He finished his career with 1,422 total rushing yards and 15 touchdowns on 234 carries. His 6.2 yards per carry was a program record.
