Mike Johnson defined the term ‘multi-sport athlete.’ A 1984 graduate of Knox, Mike earned four letters each in both basketball and baseball and one letter in football. As a senior, he was named to all-conference teams in all three sports. In an article about Mike that appeared in the
Knox Alumnus, Harley Knosher referred to him as “the finest three sport athlete to represent the College in 25 years.”
In his only year of football, Mike was a 1983 All-Midwest Conference (South Division) punter and an All-Conference Honorable Mention kicker. He averaged 36.3 yards per punt and led the team in scoring with 28 points, converting 6-of-11 field goals and 10-of-14 extra points. Mike’s teammates voted him the recipient of the Tom Dean Award, given to the Most Valuable Player in the Knox-Monmouth game. Mike kicked a field goal in a 3-3 tie.
On the basketball floor, Mike was named to the All-Midwest Conference Second Team after leading Knox in points (333), rebounds (110) and assists (72) as a senior. He won the Don C.M. Bracker Memorial Award which is given to the team MVP, and was named Most Valuable Senior after averaging 15.9 points and 5.2 rebounds that season.
Mike’s finest accomplishments came on the baseball field. He was a three-time First Team All-Midwest Conference shortstop who led Knox in batting average and home runs for three seasons and in hits and runs batted in for four seasons. The senior co-captain was named the team’s Most Valuable Offensive Player in 1984 when he batted .452 with 5 home runs and 19 RBI. A career .372 hitter, Mike was a two-time team Most Valuable Player and voted Best Defensive Player in 1982.
To round out his collection of awards, Mike was the unanimous winner of the John W. Hilding Endowed Prize, awarded to the Siwash senior male athlete who had the most outstanding collegiate career in varsity sports.
Today Mike lives in Barrington, Illinois, with his wife, Maria, and their sons, Mark and Luke. He is an inspector for the US Customs Services.
