Member Biography

Johnny Bright grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and won all- state scholastic acclaim in football, baseball and track. He attended Drake University, played single-wing halfback, and in three years accounted for 5,903 yards in total offense. He led the nation in total offense 1949 and 1950. In 1951, his senior year, he suffered a broken jaw while playing Oklahoma A&M. He came back two weeks later, running for one touchdown, passing for two, in a victory over Great Lakes Naval Station. Johnny was drafted in the first round by the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL but opted for the Canadian League. He started with Calgary in 1952, moved to Edmonton Eskimos in 1954 and played through 1964. When he retired, he held the Canadian League record for career yards rushing - 10,768. He was principal of a junior high school in Edmonton when he died in 1983, at age 53, following a heart attack.