Rafer Johnson was a distinguished American athlete, occasional actor, and multi-talented individual with numerous accomplishments to his name. As a UCLA basketball star, he went on to become the Pan American decathlon champion in 1955 and a two-time decathlon silver medallist at the Melbourne Olympics, despite injuries, in 1956. Four years later, he won the gold medal at the Rome Olympics.
In addition to his athletic achievements, Johnson was a co-founding member of the Special Olympics International Board of Directors in 1968 and co-founded the California Special Olympics the following year. He served as board president from 1983 to 1992. He was also a member of the Peace Corps during the administration of John F. Kennedy.
Johnson's career extended beyond sports, as he worked as a sports anchor at KNBC in Los Angeles. During Robert F. Kennedy's 1968 presidential campaign, Johnson served as an advisor and quasi-bodyguard to his close friend. Tragically, he was present at the time of Kennedy's assassination and famously tackled the assassin, Sirhan Sirhan, along with Roosevelt Grier, and secured the murder weapon.
Johnson played a significant role in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, serving as the torch bearer. He was inducted into the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame in 1994, California's Hall of Fame in 2009, and received the UCLA medal seven years later.
Throughout his life, Johnson also pursued an acting career, albeit modestly. He befriended film legend Kirk Douglas while training in Rome for the 1960 Olympics and was offered the role of Draba in the epic film Spartacus. However, he had to decline the offer due to his Olympic commitments. Johnson appeared in various films, including period adventures and guest-starred in several television shows, such as Mission: Impossible, Roots: The Next Generations, and Quincy, M.E. He also made a brief appearance in the James Bond thriller Licence to Kill.
Rafer Johnson passed away on December 2, 2020, at the age of 85, in Sherman Oaks, California.
