30 Facts About Johnny Bright

John Dee Bright was an American professional football player in the Canadian Football League.

Johnny Bright is a member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, the College Football Hall of Fame, the Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Fame, the Edmonton Eskimos Wall of Honour, the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame, and the Des Moines Register Iowa Sports Hall of Fame.

In 1951, Bright was named a first-team All-American, and was awarded the Nils V "Swede" Nelson Sportsmanship Award.

In 1969, Johnny Bright was named Drake University's greatest football player of all time.

Johnny Bright is the only Drake football player to have his jersey number retired by the school, and in June 2006, received honorable mention from ESPN.

In November 2006, Johnny Bright was voted one of the CFL's Top 50 players of the league's modern era by Canadian sports network TSN.

Johnny Bright lived with his mother and step father Daniel Bates, brothers, Homer Johnny Bright, the eldest, Alfred, Milton, and Nate Bates, in a working class, predominantly African-American neighborhood in Fort Wayne.

Johnny Bright was a three-sport star at Fort Wayne's Central High School.

Johnny Bright, who was an accomplished softball pitcher and boxer, led Central High's football team to a City title in 1945, and helped the basketball team to two state tournament Final Four appearances.

Johnny Bright eventually lettered in football, track, and basketball, during his collegiate career at Drake.

Johnny Bright finished the game with 75 yards, the first time he had finished a game, with less than 100 yards in his three-year collegiate career at Drake.

Johnny Bright graduated from Drake with a Bachelor of Science in Education, with a specialization in physical education, in 1952.

In 1969, Johnny Bright was named Drake University's greatest football player of all time.

Johnny Bright is the only Drake football player to have his jersey number retired by the school.

Johnny Bright was the first pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of the 1952 National Football League draft.

Johnny Bright spurned the NFL, electing to emigrate to Canada and play for the Calgary Stampeders of the Western Interprovincial Football Union, the precursor to the West Division of the Canadian Football League.

Johnny Bright enjoyed the most success of his professional football career as a member of the Eskimos.

Johnny Bright moved to Edmonton and lived the rest of life in that city.

In 1959, following his third straight season as the Canadian pro rushing leader with 1,340 yards, Johnny Bright won the CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award, the first black athlete to be so honored.

Johnny Bright was approached several times during his Canadian career by NFL teams about playing in the United States, but in the days before the large salaries of today's NFL players, it was common for CFL players such as him to have jobs in addition to football, and he had already started a teaching career in 1957, the year he moved his family to Edmonton.

Johnny Bright retired in 1964 as the CFL's all-time leading rusher.

Johnny Bright rushed for 10,909 yards in 13 seasons, had five consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, and led the CFL in rushing four times.

At the time of his retirement, Johnny Bright had a then-CFL-record thirty-six 100-plus-yard games, carrying the ball 200 or more times for five straight seasons.

Johnny Bright led the CFL Western Conference in rushing four times, winning the Eddie James Memorial Trophy in the process, and was a Western Conference All-Star five straight seasons from 1957 to 1961.

Johnny Bright was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame on November 26,1970.

In November 2006, Johnny Bright was voted one of the CFL's Top 50 players of the league's modern era by Canadian sports network TSN.

Johnny Bright was head coach at Edmonton's Bonnie Doon High School in the 1960s when the Lancers were a champion football team.

Johnny Bright was the head coach of the Edmonton Wildcats in the Canadian Junior Football League from 1978 to 1981.

Johnny Bright died of a massive heart attack on December 14,1983, at the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton, while undergoing elective surgery to correct a knee injury suffered during his football career.

Johnny Bright was survived by his wife and four children.