Greg Johnson Inducted Into National Wrestling Hall of Fame
6/8/2015 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Greg Johnson was inducted posthumously into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Saturday in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Former teammate Pat Milkovich was on hand to accept the award on Johnson's behalf. (Photo by Larry Slater)
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Former Spartan three-time National Champion Greg Johnson was inducted posthumously into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum in a ceremony Saturday night in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Johnson passed away at the age of 52 in 2001 from a rare blood disorder. He was also inducted into the Michigan State Athletics Hall of Fame in September 2014. Former Spartan teammate and fellow NCAA Champion Pat Milkovich was on hand at the event to accept the award on Johnson's behalf.
Johnson was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum as a Distinguished Member, along with Frank Bettucci, Joe Gonzales and Sammie Henson. The other recipients were Outstanding American Mike Golic, Order of Merit recipient Dr. David "Doc" Bennett, Medal of Courage recipient Mike Powell, and Lifetime Achievement for an Official Kenny Ritchie.
A Distinguished Member can be a wrestler who has achieved extraordinary success in national and/or international competition, a coach who has demonstrated great leadership in the profession and has compiled an outstanding record, a contributor whose long-term activities have substantially enhanced the development and advancement of the sport, or a combination of the above qualifications.
Even though he battled multiple injuries throughout his career, Johnson overcame those obstacles to become the first wrestler in Big Ten history to win three national titles.
The 118-pounder not only claimed three straight national titles from 1970-72, he also took first place three years in a row at the Big Ten Championships during that same time span. In addition, he helped lead the Spartans to three Big Ten team titles during MSU's unprecedented run of seven consecutive Big Ten Championships (1966-72) under former head coach Grady Peninger.
After sitting out his first year at Michigan State, Johnson fractured his ankle and missed the entire 1968-69 season as well. The hard-luck Johnson broke his leg the following summer and had to sit out six more weeks, but in his third year in school, he finally made his varsity debut in January 1970. In his second match, he dropped a decision to Oklahoma State's Ray Stapp, but it would be his only loss of the season. Johnson ultimately had the final say with a victory over Stapp in the 1970 national final to win the first of his three national championships.
Johnson was named the Michigan State Athlete of the Year in 1971 after tallying a 19-2-2 record with seven pins, including a 6-5 triumph against Navy's Ron Schuler in the national final. He also was victorious in the 1971 East-West All-Star Meet in Stillwater, Oklahoma, with a 5-2 decision over Stapp.
After receiving an extra year of eligibility due to missing the entire 1968-69 season, Johnson closed out his career in style as a captain in 1971-72, leading the Spartans to their seventh straight Big Ten Championship and a runner-up finish at the NCAA Championships while winning the 118-pound crown at both the conference and national meet for the third year in a row. For his efforts, he was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the 1972 Big Ten Championships. He defeated Oklahoma's Gary Breece, 9-5, in his last collegiate match in the 1972 NCAA final at 118 pounds.
Johnson finished with a career record of 54-5-2 and 17 falls, and his .902 winning percentage still ranks 10th best in Michigan State history.
A native of Lansing, Michigan, Johnson won two state titles at Everett High School (1966-67) and was a member of the 1968 U.S. Junior Olympic team, finishing second at 114.5 pounds at the 1968 U.S. Olympic Trials. He also won the Junior World Tournament in the summer of 1967.
"He was absolutely the toughest wrestler I've ever had," Peninger told the Lansing State Journal in 1987. "He's an amazing little guy who has a lot of quality. He's one of the super kids that was put in this world. I consider myself super fortunate to have had an association with him.
"He's deserving of all the honors he gets. He was blessed with undying determination and blessed with having high ideals. They don't always go together, but in Greg's case, they did."
Johnson went on to coach as an assistant at Clarion State and Utah before becoming the head coach at Illinois from 1978-83. After helping Peninger at MSU for a brief period as a part-time assistant, Johnson coached at the New South Wales Wrestling Federation in South Wales, Australia, in the mid-1980s and then served as the head coach at Alfred State Junior College in New York.
Johnson was a charter member of the Michigan Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1978 and also was named to the Greater Lansing Hall of Fame in 1987. He was tabbed the "Wrestler of the Decade" in the 118-pound weight class by Amateur Wrestling News.
Johnson is the fifth Spartan to be inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame (Fendley Collins, coach, 1976; Grady Peninger, coach, 1987; Pat Milkovich, 2000; Don Behm, 2004).
