One of the original Dallas Texans, Johnny Robinson was drafted by the franchise in the first round of the 1960 AFL draft. He was also selected by the Detroit Lions in the NFL draft but opted to play in the upstart American Football League.
Robinson committed to play college football at Louisiana State under Head Coach Paul Dietzel in 1956. As a Junior, Robinson helped the Tigers win all ten regular season games, the Suger Bowl, and the 1958 National Championship. Following the ’58 college football season, Robinson earned First-Team All-SEC honors, and Second-Team All-SEC honors his Senior year.
After being drafted, Robinson began his professional career as a running back and flanker in head coach Hank Stram’s offense. In his first two seasons, Robinson rushed for 658 yards and six touchdowns on 150 carries and recorded 76 receptions for 1,212 yards and nine scores. In 1962, Robinson transitioned to the defensive side of the ball by converting to safety, where he’d spend the next ten seasons of his pro career.
Now the anchor to the Texans’ secondary, Dallas finished the 1962 season with an 11-3 record to win the western division crown before defeating the Houston Oilers in double-overtime for the franchise’s first-ever league championship. In the years that followed, Robinson became a dynamic defensive playmaker that was the backbone of some of the strongest secondaries in the history of Pro Football.
Throughout his 12-yr career with the Texans/Chiefs (1960-1971), Robinson never let up and completely revolutionized the safety position forever. His determination and toughness were displayed in Super Bowl 4 when he registered a fumble recovery and an interception to help the Chiefs pull off the upset over the Minnesota Vikings despite playing with three broken ribs.
Following the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, Robinson’s 43 interceptions rank third in AFL history, and his 57 career picks rank second in team history. In 164 career games, the Texans/Chiefs were 35-1-1 in games when he had at least one interception.
By the end of his career, Robinson was a six-time All-AFL selection from 1963-68 and was voted to the Pro Bowl in 1970. He’s notably remembered as a member of the Chiefs teams that won Super Bowl 4 and AFL championships in ’62, ’66, and ’69. He was inducted into the franchise’s Hall of Honor in 1974 and enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2019.
After he retired following the 1971 season, Robinson devoted his post-football to helping troubled young boys around the Monroe area in Louisiana when he founded the Johnny Robinson Boys Home, which still operates today.
