(Publisher’s Note: This is the first in a series of articles that will feature many members of the 2020 OVAC Hall of Fame class.)
There were times he would even forget about it unless a friend of his would bring it up out of the blue.
Why is Daryl “Boogie” Johnson not yet inducted into the OVAC Hall of Fame despite all the serious truth?
He collected more than 4,000 rushing yards in three seasons; led the Wheeling Park Patriots to the high school’s first-ever appearance in the state Class AAA championship game; won the Kennedy Award for being the best football player in the state; AND the former running back got a full-ride with a Division I program at Oklahoma State.
Worthy? Not worthy?
Johnson was forced to accept the latter, but only up until January 19, when the OVAC announced its Class of the 1990s, and low and behold, there he was, finally, on the list.
“It’s a great feeling; it really is. A few of my friends have talked about it a few times, but then I really did forget about it because I never heard anything at all,” Johnson explained. “But each year when the induction does take place and one of us sees something on TV, then, of course, it hits my mind again.
“I’m happy because a lot of people thought I had been inducted a long time ago, but when that OPEN LETTER came out, I heard about it for weeks because so many people couldn’t believe it,” he said. “And since it was announced, I have heard from so many of my former teammates and all of my friends, and over and over they would text that they’re a ‘Fan of the Boogie Man’ because of your piece.”
Glory Days.
Johnson’s career at Oklahoma State was cut short by injuries suffered during his first few seasons. Once returning home, he found employment, started a family, and became very involved with the Wheeling community.
But, Johnson admits, some dreams didn’t come true.
“Actually, I really only played high school football for about 2.5 years because my sophomore year I didn’t start until the sixth game, and my senior year I only played seven full games because our coach then, Ron White, would pull the starters once we were up by 25 points because he was trying to keep us healthy,” Johnson recalled. “Coach (Mark) Nardone, God bless his soul, always told me that if he was the coach of that team, that I would have broken the national record.
“When I was in high school, I did want WVU to be my step, but they were late in the recruiting process and couldn’t offer me a full scholarship and wanted me to walk on in the beginning,” he said. “There were a lot of phone calls and visits to campuses, but when Oklahoma State called, that was it. I was a big Barry Sanders fan, and that’s why I knew they had a place in their offense for a running back of my size. So, that was it.”
But Johnson explained there was a second reason why he ended up playing against teams like Texas, Oklahoma, and SMU, and it involved the head coach for the crosstown rival.
“I’ll have to give a lot of credit to Coach Jim Thomas, and most people don’t know what he did for me,” Johnson said. “Coach Thomas knew a guy connected to that program and some others, and it was that guy who called me first. When I sent my tape for Oklahoma State, I sent it to that guy because of Coach Thomas.
“But because that guy, and I wish I could remember his name, too, but that was when a lot of other schools started calling, too. Virginia, Virginia Tech, and even Washington State,” he continued. “They wanted me to fly out there, see the campus, meet with the coaches, and stuff, but once I heard from the Cowboys, I committed.”
Coming Home.
When Johnson returned home to Wheeling, all he heard about was that ’91 state championship game against Capital High at Laidley Field in Charleston. Most believe Boogie scored late in the fourth quarter when an in-motion play was ruled dead before he crossed the goal line.
Instead, a 15-14 defeat.
And Johnson also heard over and over again that he was a shoo-in for the local Hall of Fame by one fan after another, so that allowed the former Park star to hope for an early entry was possible, too.
Nope. Instead, it took 29 years and 43 days after his final game representing an OVAC team.
“No one seems to know why it took so long, but that’s OK. The wait is over, and I’m very happy about it. My family is thrilled, I’ve heard from a lot of the linemen that blocked for me back in those days and from a lot of friends, too,” he said. “Heck, I’m just glad I’m still alive because you never know about life.
“I haven’t made any plans for the induction (in August), but I’m sure we’ll have something everyone can come to afterward,” Johnson added. “But it’s going to be a little weird for me, too, because the game of football has centered around my sons for a lot of years. That’s what football has been about for me, but that day might be a little different.”
