Jumping Johnny Wilson
{{Short description|American basketball and baseball player (1927–2019)}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Jumping Johnny Wilson
| image = Johnny Wilson.jpg
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| birth_date = 1927
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|death_date= {{death date and age|2019|01|11|1927}}
| nationality = American
| high_school = Anderson High School
| college = Anderson College
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| years1 = 1949–1954
| team1 = Harlem Globetrotters
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John E. Wilson (1927 – January 11, 2019), popularly known as Jumpin' Johnny Wilson, was an American basketball and baseball player. He gained his nickname for being the only player on his high school team able to dunk the basketball.Dick Denny, [https://books.google.com/books?id=gM-Amw1pONsC&pg=PT32&lpg=PT32&dq="johnny+wilson" Glory Days Indiana: Legends of Indiana High School Basketball]
Playing career
As a high school student in Anderson, Indiana at Anderson High School, Anderson he captained the Indians basketball team and was named Indiana's Mr. Basketball.{{cite web|url=http://www.apbr.org/trotters.html|title=All-Time Harlem Globetrotters Roster|website=www.apbr.org}} In the high school championship game in 1946, he scored 30 of his team's 67 points in its victory over Fort Wayne Central High School, a record.
Wilson wished to attend Indiana University after he graduated in 1946, but was not recruited due to the Big Ten's unspoken policy of not recruiting African-American players. Instead, Wilson was recruited by Frank Pop Hedden and attended Anderson College, where he quickly became a star player. During his three-year career at Anderson, Wilson earned eleven letters, was selected All-conference three times, team M.V.P. three times, named as an All-American twice, and once finished third in the nation in scoring. As of 2008, Wilson still held the school record for career scoring average, season scoring average, and field goal attempts in a game.Savannah Woods "[http://www.theheraldbulletin.com/peopleandplaces/local_story_058194423.html Jumpin' Johnny Wilson] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120912081321/http://www.theheraldbulletin.com/peopleandplaces/local_story_058194423.html |date=2012-09-12 }}", The Herald Bulletin (Anderson, Indiana), February 27, 2008.
After leaving Anderson College, Wilson played baseball for one year with the Chicago American Giants in the Negro leagues{{cite web |url=http://www.nlbpa.com/wilson__johnny.html |title=Wilson, Johnny – Negro League Baseball Player |website=www.nlbpa.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030304162921/http://www.nlbpa.com/wilson__johnny.html |archive-date=2003-03-04}} before playing basketball for the Harlem Globetrotters from 1949 to 1954.{{cite web|title=Harlem Globetrotters all time roster |url=http://www.harlemglobetrotters.com/team/alltime/ |accessdate=2009-12-27 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081028062058/http://www.harlemglobetrotters.com/team/alltime/ |archivedate=2008-10-28 }}{{Cite web|url=http://www.lhup.edu/sports/havensports/athleticsTeams/mensBasketball/coachingStaff/c4.htm|title = Redirect to Lockhaven.edu}} Wilson later returned to Anderson College in 1970 to finish earning his bachelor's degree in education.
Coaching career
Wilson spent eight years at head basketball coach at Wood High School in Indianapolis, then sixteen years as head coach and athletic director at Malcolm X College, compiling a 378–135 (.737) record. Afterwards, Wilson worked as an assistant coach for Anderson College and Anderson High School. Wilson was the assistant basketball coach at Lock Haven University aside his son John E. Wilson Jr.
Wilson Sr. later moved to Virginia until the time of his death on January 11, 2019.{{cite web |url=http://www.anderson.edu/athletics/hof/wilson.html |title=Johnny Wilson: Anderson University, a Christian College in Indiana |accessdate=2008-10-08 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080820173315/http://anderson.edu/athletics/hof/wilson.html |archivedate=2008-08-20 }}{{cite news|last1=Benbow|first1=Dana Hunsinger|title=Jumpin' Johnny Wilson, who was oldest living Indiana Mr. Basketball, dies|url=https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/2019/01/12/jumpin-johnny-wilson-oldest-indiana-mr-basketball-dies/2555473002/|accessdate=January 12, 2019|work=Indianapolis Star|date=January 12, 2019}}
Legacy
Wilson was the subject of the book "Jump Johnny Jump!" written by Dick Burdette.
Wilson was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame{{cite web |url=http://hoopshall.com/hall/w/john-wilson/ |title=Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame » John Wilson |website=hoopshall.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101126031841/http://hoopshall.com/hall/w/john-wilson/ |archive-date=2010-11-26}} and the Anderson University Athletic Hall of Fame as part of its inaugural class in 1997.{{cite web |title=Hall of Fame |url=https://athletics.anderson.edu/hof/landing#:~:text=The%20Anderson%20University%20Athletic%20Hall,Meritorious%20service)%20to%20the%20University. |website=athletics.anderson.edu |access-date=10 April 2023 |language=en}} He was named one of Indiana's 50 best basketball players of all time.
References
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Category:American men's basketball coaches
Category:American men's basketball players
Category:Anderson Ravens baseball players
Category:Anderson Ravens men's basketball players
Category:Baseball players from Indiana
Category:Basketball coaches from Indiana
Category:Basketball players from Indiana
Category:Chicago American Giants players
Category:College men's basketball head coaches in the United States
Category:Harlem Globetrotters players
Category:High school basketball coaches in the United States
Category:Junior college athletic directors in the United States
Category:Anderson High School (Anderson, Indiana) alumni