Kyle Whittingham Personally Called Eddie Johnson To Inform Him Of Utah Hall Of Fame Selection
May 12, 2020, 3:02 PM
Legendary Utah Utes running back Eddie Johnson high-fives a BYU cheerleader in 1988.
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Former Utah running back standout Eddie Johnson will be inducted into the Utah Athletics Hall of Fame this fall.
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What made the news even better for Johnson was when he received a call from Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham informing him that he had been selected for the Hall of Fame.
Johnson was shocked when he heard the news and told the Crimson Corner podcast that it’s always a treat when Whittingham calls him.
“It was shocking but very exciting,” Johnson told KSL Sports. “What put the icing on the cake was when Kyle Whittingham called me because you know the big guy doesn’t just call anybody out of the blue. He called me which made it that much sweeter.”
Our newest Hall of Fame inductee list is packed with accomplished athletes and it’s also the largest class in school history! 🙌 #goutes https://t.co/x556QpgW8U
— Utah Athletics (@utahathletics) April 29, 2020
Conversation With Whittingham
Johnson said that Whittingham wanted to make the call to Johnson to deliver the good news.
“He told me that when he heard my name was selected that he had to call me and congratulate me. It was a great conversation,” Johnson stated. “We have a very good relationship. My son played for him. He has been great to my family. I always pitch my relatives on going to Utah because I want them to play for Kyle before he retires.”
Johnson’s son Chandler played wide receiver and cornerback at Utah from 2010-14.
“First of all, I was just excited that Kyle was calling me. I thought maybe he was offering me a job,” Johnson said jokingly. “When he called, I was worried that it wasn’t about my son or something like that.”
Having His Record Broken
Against Arizona State this past season, Utah running back Zack Moss passed Johnson for the school rushing yards record.
When that happened – while happy for moss – Johnson didn’t necessarily think about being in the Hall of Fame.
“It’s been a really interesting year because Zack Moss just broke my record,” he said. “Normally the guy who’s record was just broken just rides off into the sunset.”
In his five seasons at Utah, Johnson ran the ball 564 times for 3,219 yards and 26 touchdowns.
You can listen to Johnson’s full interview on the Crimson Corner podcast below.
Trevor Allen is a Utah Utes Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Crimson Corner podcast. Follow him on Twitter: @TrevorASports. You can download and listen to the podcast, here.
