Gregory Johnson
August 24, 1949 - April 02, 2001
Several great athletes have gone through the Michigan State University wrestling program. None had a career quite like Gregory Monroe Johnson.
Growing up in Lansing, Mich., Johnson won two state wrestling championships for Everett High School. After graduation, he chose to stay close to home to attend Michigan State and wound up leading his team to one of its most successful runs in school history.
The Spartans won three consecutive Big Ten titles and placed in the top three at the NCAA tournament from 1970-1972. Johnson was a defining factor throughout much of that success.
Despite all of his accolades, his career under legendary coach Grady Peninger got off to a shaky start. Peninger called his star pupil the physically toughest wrestler he ever coached, and there is a good reason why.
He sat out the 1967-68 season as a true freshman, and was unable to compete the next year because of a broken ankle. The following summer, he fractured his leg and missed the first six weeks of the 1969-70 season.
But Johnson showed his resolve. His sophomore debut was a dual meet victory in January of 1970, but he dropped the second match of his season to Oklahoma State’s Ray Stapp. The MSU sophomore cruised through the remainder of the season without a loss, picking up his first Big 10 title and winning the 118-pound NCAA championship with a referee’s decision over Stapp in the finals.
The Spartans’ lightest wrestler made his biggest impact over the remaining two seasons. He picked up Big Ten championships in 1971 and 1972, along with two more NCAA tournament titles. He became the first Big Ten wrestler to win three NCAA titles in conference history and is also Michigan State’s only three-time NCAA wrestling champion in program history.
His coaching career included positions at Clarion State University, University of Utah, University of Illinois, and Alfred State Junior College. He coached Kevin Puebla to All-America honors in 1979. Johnson was also involved in Australia’s New South Wales Wrestling Federation during the mid-1980s.
In 2001, at age 52, Johnson passed away from a rare blood disorder.
For showing his resolve through difficult circumstances, Greg Johnson is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Awards:
Year
2015
|
Award
Distinguished Member
|
Chapter/Region
National
|
All American Awards:
Season
1972
|
School
Michigan State
|
Tournament
Division I
|
Weight
118
|
Place
1
|
Season
1971
|
School
Michigan State
|
Tournament
Division I
|
Weight
118
|
Place
1
|
Season
1970
|
School
Michigan State
|
Tournament
Division I
|
Weight
118
|
Place
1
|
College Season Records:
Season
1972
|
School
Michigan State
|
Class
Senior
|
Bouts
16
|
Wins
16
|
Losses
0
|
Ties
0
|
Falls
0
|
Win PCT.
100
|
Place
1st
|
Season
1971
|
School
Michigan State
|
Class
Junior
|
Bouts
21
|
Wins
17
|
Losses
2
|
Ties
2
|
Falls
0
|
Win PCT.
80.95
|
Place
1st
|
Season
1970
|
School
Michigan State
|
Class
Sophomore
|
Bouts
20
|
Wins
19
|
Losses
1
|
Ties
0
|
Falls
0
|
Win PCT.
95
|
Place
1st
|
Season
Career
|
Bouts
57
|
Wins
52
|
Losses
3
|
Ties
2
|
Falls
0
|
Win PCT.
91.23
|
All Coaching Dual Records:
Season
1983
|
School
Illinois
|
Division
Division I
|
Duals
15
|
Wins
1
|
Losses
13
|
Ties
1
|
Win PCT.
6.67
|
Season
1982
|
School
Illinois
|
Division
Division I
|
Duals
17
|
Wins
9
|
Losses
8
|
Ties
0
|
Win PCT.
52.94
|
Season
1981
|
School
Illinois
|
Division
Division I
|
Duals
17
|
Wins
7
|
Losses
9
|
Ties
1
|
Win PCT.
41.18
|
Season
1980
|
School
Illinois
|
Division
Division I
|
Duals
20
|
Wins
8
|
Losses
12
|
Ties
0
|
Win PCT.
40
|
Season
1979
|
School
Illinois
|
Division
Division I
|
Duals
22
|
Wins
12
|
Losses
10
|
Ties
0
|
Win PCT.
54.55
|
Season
Career
|
Duals
91
|
Wins
37
|
Losses
52
|
Ties
2
|
Win PCT.
40.66
|