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Johnson says there was no bounty on Andersen
The New Orleans Saints' "bountygate" issues has pushed Ferriday's Walter Johnson into the national picture.
Johnson has had to go on the defensive after former New Orleans Saints kicker Morten Andersen told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that Johnson told him he was paid $1,000 for a hit Johnson put on the kicker back in 1987.
But even before that story surfaced, Courtney Yager of CNN called the Concordia Sentinel several times trying to track down Johnson to talk with him about the incident when Johnson was a member of the Houston Oilers.
Yager and CNN were in Ferriday Tuesday to attempt to talk with Johnson.
The play in question occured Dec. 13, 1987 when the Saints were playing the Oilers in the Superdome.
Andersen told the Picayune that on the opening kickoff, when he was unguarded, he took a vicious, blind-side shot from Oilers special team player Walter Johnson.
"Man, I was shook up," Andersen said. "I had a concussion and a separated shoulder and had to leave the game."
No flag was thrown and the hit was legal. Andersen told the Picayune he confronted Oilers coach Jerry Glanville about it after the game, but Glanville denied planning the hit.
"I came back the next week, but, wow, I was one hurting cowboy at practice for a whole week after that," Andersen said.
Ed Lavandera performed the interviews for CNN. The feature will air Sunday at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Lavandera said he talked with Andersen Sunday night and that Andersen said he asked Johnson about the incident when he joined the Saints and said Johnson told him he was paid $1,000 for the hit.
Johnson was out of town and unable to talk with the CNN interviewers, but gave his thoughts on the play to the Sentinel.
Johnson said he never talked to Andersen after the game.
"Morten was headed to the doctor," Johnson said. "The $1,000 never happened."
Johnson said he never heard anything about a bounty when he played, or even after he played.
"If a guy is making $100,000, what's a $1,000 going to do for them," he said.
The Saints beat the Oilers that day 24-10.
Johnson said Glanville specifically told him to hit Morten Andersen because at that time Andersen was 75 percent of the Saints' offense.
"(Teammate) Eugene Seals was also told to hit Andersen," Johnson said. "I never questioned it. If my mama was out there in pads I would have hit her. Football is a physical game."
Johnson, who ranks first at Louisiana Tech in sacks for a season (14) and career sacks, was taken by the Houston Oilers in the second round in the NFL Draft in 1987, the 46th overall pick.
Johnson said Glanville had somebody assigned to hit the kicker every game because the kicker is the one left to make a tackle if the return guy breaks it.
"But I never received payment for it," Johnson said. "Coach Glanville was a crazy man who would come up with anything. But he was a good coach. People liked the guy. I was just doing what I was told, just knock the heck out of him. It wasn't illegal. When I went to the Saints, I became good friends with Morten and ate at his restaurant a lot."
After a year with the Saints, Johnson signed with Indianapolis.
But a shoulder injury forced him to retire and he returned his money to the Colts. |
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