Today’s autograph is from safety Johnny Fuller. Born on March 3, 1946, Fuller grew up in Beaumont, Texas, and attended South Park High School. At Lamar, he played football and qualified for the 1968 Olympic trials in the decathlon.
Fuller played on Lamar’s Southland Conference football championship teams in 1964, 1965 and 1966. A split end and punt returner, he was named All-Conference in 1966 and 1967 and Little All-American in 1967. His 19.6-yard punt return average led Division II in 1967.
Fuller missed the Olympic trials after a plane crash killed his coach, Ty Terrell, and five members of the track team on April 28, 1968. He had been scheduled to travel with them but took an earlier flight at his wife’s request. The San Francisco 49ers selected him in the fourth round of the 1968 draft.
He played defensive back for nine seasons with the San Francisco 49ers (1968-1972) and New Orleans Saints (1973-1976). His career included the Saints’ first shutout, a 13-0 win over the Buffalo Bills in which O.J. Simpson was held to 79 yards. He also intercepted the last pass of Joe Namath’s career, stopping a potential Jets comeback.
Fuller is a member of the Museum of the Gulf Coast’s Sports Hall of Fame.
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