Johnny Roland Johnny Earl Roland ( born May 21 , 1943 ) is a former American football player and coach . He played as a running back in the National Football League ( NFL ) for the St . Louis Cardinals from 1966 to 1972 and the New York Giants in 1973 . Roland played college football at the University of Missouri , where he was a consensus All - American in 1965 as a defensive back . After his playing days , he served as an assistant coach with the number of NFL teams and at the University of Notre Dame . Roland was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1998 . Playing career . High school . Roland played high school football at Roy Miller High School in Corpus Christi , Texas and led the team to a 13 – 1 record and the 4A State Championship . College . Roland played college football at the University of Missouri . In 1962 , he rushed for 830 yards , seventh best total in the nation , and scored 78 points , ninth in the nation . This rushing total included 155 yards against Oklahoma State University and 104 against Iowa State University . One of his most notable games that season was his first varsity game , where he rushed for 171 yards and three touchdowns . That season , Roland earned his first All - Big Eight Conference honor . Thought to have stolen a pair of tires , Roland was forced to leave the team and the school during the 1963 season and worked that year in Kansas City . He was welcomed back to the team in 1964 and was moved to the defensive back position . He led his team to a 6 – 3 – 1 record and was again chosen as an All - Big Eight Conference player . In 1965 , Roland led the Tigers to an 8 – 2 – 1 record and a victory in the 1966 Sugar Bowl over the Florida Gators , 20 – 18 . That season , he was named the team ' s captain , was voted a College All - American , and again was on the All - Big Eight team . By being named the captain of the 1965 team , Roland was the first African - American to serve as the captain for any University of Missouri athletic team . Roland had his jersey retired ( # 23 ) by Missouri and was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2005 . Professional . Roland was drafted in the fourth round of the 1965 NFL Draft by the St . Louis Cardinals and was named UPI NFL - NFC Rookie of the Year in 1966 . He played for seven seasons with the Cardinals , and he became the franchise ' s leading rusher ( since broken ) . He then went on to play for one season with the New York Giants . Roland played in 103 NFL games , during which he rushed for 3 , 750 yards and 28 touchdowns on 1 , 015 attempts , caught 153 passes for 1 , 430 yards and six touchdowns , returned 49 punts for 452 yards with two touchdowns , returned 22 kickoffs for 444 yards , and completed five of 13 passes for 130 yards and one touchdown . Coaching career . First stint with Green Bay ( 1974 ) . Roland ' s former college coach , Dan Devine , hired Roland to be the Green Bay Packers special assignments coach in 1974 . While there , he coordinated some of the first computer programs used by Packers coaches , as well as scouting college talent and coaching . Notre Dame ( 1975 ) . Roland then followed Devine to the University of Notre Dame , where he was an assistant coach in 1975 . Philadelphia Eagles ( 1976 – 1978 ) . Roland was the running back s coach for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1976 to 1978 under head coach Dick Vermeil . During his time there , Roland coached Wilbert Montgomery , who helped lead Philadelphia to Super Bowl XV and remains the Eagles ' all - time leading rusher . Chicago Bears ( 1983 – 1992 ) . Roland was hired by Chicago Bears head coach Mike Ditka in 1983 to help coach running back Walter Payton , who at the time stood 2 , 108 yards from Jim Brown ' s NFL rushing record and then broke the mark in 1984 . Roland also coached Payton ' s successor Neal Anderson , whom Roland coached into the Bears ' second all - time leading rusher . The Bears during Roland ' s tenure led the league in rushing four times , and finished among the top three in seven of his 11 seasons . From 1984 to 1988 , Chicago rushed for 160 . 9 yards per game , went 62 – 17 ( . 785 ) , made the playoffs five straight years and won Super Bowl XX . New York Jets ( 1993 – 1994 ) . Roland was the running backs coach for the New York Jets from 1993 to 1994 . St . Louis Rams ( 1995 – 1996 ) . Roland joined the St . Louis Rams in 1995 and coached running back Jerome Bettis during Bettis ' last year with the Rams before playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers . Arizona Cardinals ( 1997 – 2003 ) . Roland joined the Arizona Cardinals in 1997 . During his final season with the Cardinals in 2003 , he coached Emmitt Smith who was traded by the Dallas Cowboys in the offseason . By coaching Smith , Roland became the only coach to work with the two all - time leading NFL rushers ( Payton and Smith ) . Second stint with Green Bay ( 2004 ) . Roland started his second stint with Green Bay in 2004 as the coach for Ahman Green , who was the National Football Conference ' s leading rusher in 2003 and second all - time leading rusher in franchise history . Roland coached in Green Bay for only one season before being hired by the New Orleans Saints . He left the Packers because he reportedly had differences with head coach Mike Sherman and the Packers had reservations about Roland ' s work ethic . New Orleans Saints ( 2005 ) . Roland joined the New Orleans Saints in 2005 under head coach Jim Haslett . Haslett was fired the following season and replaced with Sean Payton , who chose not to retain Roland . Personal . Roland lives in Tempe , Arizona , and has two sons , Johnny , Jr . and James , and one daughter , Cynnamon . He owned part of a radio station , KIRL , in St . Louis , until it filed for bankruptcy in 2004 . He also owns WRBZ in Wetumpka , Alabama .