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| Daytona Pre Race Notes: Steve Johnson |
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NFL figures have dabbled in the world of auto racing for years. Redskins coach Joe Gibbs owns a successful NASCAR team, and football all-stars Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach recently created Hall of Fame Racing. However, former New England Patriot and Dallas Cowboy Steve Johnson is one of the few NFL players to slide behind the wheel to compete as a driver in the world of professional auto racing.
Johnson, who lives in Bristol, Va., will race Synergy Racing's No. 81 Comfort Systems USA Porsche at Daytona International Speedway this Thursday night in the Brumos Porsche 250, round 10 of the Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Special Reserve. The six-foot six-inch, former tight end enters this week's race tied with his Synergy Racing co-driver Robert Nearn, of London, England, for sixth place in the series' GT driver standings, and he's second in the running for the Bob Akin Award, given to the top sportsman driver at end of the season.
Johnson was a football standout at Virginia Tech during his college years, putting up some impressive numbers during his tenure as the team's top tight end including:
Team's leading receiver with 38 receptions in 1987, Held record for most touchdown receptions by a TE (record broken in 2005), 84 career receptions, the second most in school's history by a TE and 10th overall among all receivers, Two-time All-South Team and All-American Team Honorable Mention.
In 1988, Johnson was selected by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the NFL draft and played with the team for two years. He moved to the Dallas Cowboys in 1990, joining well-known names like Aikman and Emmitt Smith under the direction of Jimmy Johnson. But in his first year with the Cowboys, Johnson suffered a career-ending knee injury.
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