Tom Johnson ( American football ) Thomas Johnson ( born January 19 , 1931 ) is a former American football player . He played at the defensive and offensive tackle positions for the University of Michigan from 1948 to 1951 . He was selected as the most valuable defensive tackle in the Big Ten Conference in 1950 and as a first - team All - American at the same position in 1951 . He was drafted in the 6th round of the 1952 NFL Draft and became the second African - American to play for the Green Bay Packers in the National Football League . Early years . Johnson was born in Chicago in 1931 and raised in Muskegon Heights , Michigan . He attended Muskegon Heights High School where he played football under legendary high school football coach Oscar " Okie " Johnson . He also played center for the Muskegon Heights basketball team . University of Michigan . In 1948 , Johnson enrolled at the University of Michigan where he helped work his way through college by washing dishes . He competed in both football and track and field . Johnson was 6 feet , 2 inches tall , and weighed 220 pounds as a football player for the Wolverines . Johnson was a starter at the tackle position for Bennie Oosterbaan ' s 1949 , 1950 and 1951 Michigan Wolverines football team s . As a sophomore in 1949 , Johnson started three games at left tackle , sharing the position with College Football Hall of Fame inductee Alvin Wistert . 1950 season . As a junior in 1950 , Johnson started all 10 games for Michigan at defensive left tackle and also started 6 games at offensive left tackle . The 1950 team started the season with a record of 2 - 3 - 1 , but turned the season around with a 20 - 7 win over Indiana . After the Indiana game , the Associated Press praised Johnson , noting that his " work has maintained the same high level whether Michigan rolled or faltered , " and further noted that " the burly Muskegon Heights tackle " was " the key man " in Michigan ' s improvement . The AP story continued : " The big 220 - pound junior has been a standout against Army , Wisconsin , Minnesota , Illinois and Indiana . Such backs as the Army ' s Jack Martin and Minnesota ' s Larry Easer , among others , know the surprise of breaking into the clear only to be dragged down from behind by the cat - quick tackle . " The 1950 team finished the regular season with three straight wins to win the Big Ten Conference championship . The Wolverines went on to defeat California 14 - 6 in the 1951 Rose Bowl . In December 1950 , Bernie Swanson , sports editor of the Minneapolis Star , picked Johnson as the best defensive tackle in the Big Ten Conference . 1951 season . As a senior in 1951 , Johnson started all 9 games for Michigan at both defensive left tackle and offensive left tackle . At the conclusion of his playing career at Michigan , the " Chicago Daily Tribune " wrote that Johnson ranked with the greatest ever to play at the tackle position for the Wolverines : " When Tom , known to his teammates as Big Gun , played his final game last fall he had won a place alongside such great Michigan tackles as Otto Pommerening , the three Wisterts , Merv Pregulman , and Al Wahl . He was a 60 minute operator in these days of offensive and defensive platoons . Tom ' s intuitive ability , his quickness , and his savvy made his work seem so easy that his value was appreciated only by experts . He has the gift of doing the right thing so naturally that he handles blockers and ball carriers in a completely unspectacular way . " In December 1951 , Johnson was selected as a first - team defensive tackle on the All - Players All - American team , an All - America team sponsored by the Chicago Tribune and determined based on polling of players in cooperation with the major universities and colleges throughout the United States . The 1951 results were based on a record 18 , 876 votes . Johnson was also selected as a first - team All - Big Ten tackle by both the Associated Press and United Press . At the end of his senior year , Johnson was also selected to play for the College All - Star team in the annual match against the NFL championship team . While training with the College All - Stars , " Chicago Tribune " columnist Arch Ward wrote that it would be hard for Michigan coach Bennie Oosterbaan to replace Johnson . Ward added , " Tom Johnson , the 60 minute All - American currently assigned to a first string tackle berth in the College All - Star camp , is the acme of modesty . . . Hardly a man around can remember him saying anything since the Collegians gathered at St . John ' s Military academy . " Track and field . In addition to football , Johnson earned two varsity letter s at Michigan in track and field . He finished second in the shot put at the 1952 Big Ten Conference indoor track meet . He graduated from Michigan in 1952 , receiving a degree in physical education . Professional football . Johnson was picked by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round ( 63rd overall pick ) of the 1952 NFL Draft . When Johnson and Iowa ' s Donal Riley signed with the Packers , the announcement in the Wisconsin newspapers focused on their race . The " Oshkosh Daily Northwestern " ran the story under the headline , " Packers to Try Out Negro Players . " " The Capital Times " led the story as follows : " The signing of two Negro athletes — - Tackle Tom Johnson of Michigan and Fullback Donal ( Mike ) Riley of Iowa — - was announced today by the Green Bay Packers . " Johnson appeared in eight games for the Packers during the 1952 NFL season . He was the second African - American to play for the Packers , following the lead of fellow Michigan Wolverine , Bob Mann , who joined the Packers in 1950 .