Luke Johnsos
{{Short description|American football player and coach (1905–1984)}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2017}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Luke Johnsos
| image = Luke Johnsos and Hunk Anderson 1942.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Johnsos (left) kneeling alongside co-head coach Hunk Anderson (right), circa 1942.
| number = 24
| position = End
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1905|12|9}}
| birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1984|12|10|1905|12|9}}
| death_place = Evanston, Illinois, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 2
| weight_lb = 195
| high_school = Carl Schurz (Chicago)
| college = Northwestern
| pastteams = * Chicago Bears ({{NFL Year|1929|1936}})
| pastcoaching = * Chicago Bears ({{NFL Year|1937|1942}})
Assistant coach
- Chicago Bears ({{NFL Year|1942|1945}})
Co-head coach - Chicago Bears ({{NFL Year|1946|1969}})
Assistant coach
| pastadmin = * Chicago Bears ({{NFL Year|1969|1974}})
Director of technical research
| highlights = Player
- Big Ten champion (1926)
- 2× NFL champion (1932, 1933)
- 2× First-team All-Pro (1930, 1931)
- NFL receiving touchdowns co-leader (1933)
- 100 greatest Bears of All-Time
Coach
| statlabel1 = Games played
| statvalue1 = 99
| statlabel2 = Starts
| statvalue2 = 64
| statlabel3 = Receiving yards
| statvalue3 = 985 (17.0 average)
| statlabel4 = Touchdowns
| statvalue4 = 20
| regular_record = {{Winning percentage|23|11|2|record=y}}
| playoff_record = {{Winning percentage|1|1|record=y}}
| overall_record = {{Winning percentage|24|12|2|record=y}}
| pfr = JohnLu20
| pfrcoach = JohnLu0
}}
Luke Andrew Johnsos Sr. (December 9, 1905 – December 10, 1984) was an American professional football player, assistant coach, and head coach for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL).{{cite web |title=Luke Johnsos |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/J/JohnLu20.htm |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |access-date=September 18, 2016}} He started with the Bears in 1929 at the age of 23 as an end. He played eight seasons in Chicago finishing his playing career in 1936. He then spent 32 years as a Bears coach, including three as co-head coach during World War II.
Playing career
Johnsos graduated from Schurz High School in Chicago in 1924, while there he played football and baseball. After graduation, he went to Northwestern University and lettered in basketball, baseball, and football, earning nine letters in total.
In 1929, he was signed by the Bears when Northwestern teammate Walter Holmer insisted he be part of the conditions; while Holmer was paid $5,000 as a salary, Johnsos received only $100 upon joining the team, which he commented was because George Halas felt he "wasn't worth [a higher pay]."{{cite news|last=Fullerton Jr.|first=Hugh|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/25460026/chicago_bears_paid_johnsos_100_per_game/|title=Chicago Bears Paid Johnsos $100 Per Game|newspaper=Green Bay Press-Gazette|via=Newspapers.com|date=January 15, 1946|access-date=November 16, 2018}} Johnsos also signed a baseball contract with the Cincinnati Reds, but did not play due to eyesight problems.{{cite news|last=Heise|first=Kenan|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/25459619/luke_johnsos_former_bear_football_great/|title=Luke Johnsos, former Bear football great|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|via=Newspapers.com|date=December 11, 1984|access-date=November 16, 2018}}
As a player for the Bears, he was named All-Pro twice. Nicknamed "Professor" and the "Bears' Brain Trust", Johnsos was praised by his peers for his knowledge of the game. Teammate Red Grange also called him "one of the best ends in the league and a great pass receiver."{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/25459932/former_bear_luke_johnsos_dies/|title=Former Bear Luke Johnsos dies|newspaper=The Daily Sentinel|via=Newspapers.com|date=December 11, 1984|access-date=November 16, 2018}}
Coaching career
In 1937, with his playing career now over, Johnsos became an assistant coach for the Bears.
Following the October 25, 1942 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, the Bears' twelfth victory in a row, Halas turned his team over to Johnsos and fellow assistant Hunk Anderson as he left to serve in World War II. With Anderson and Johnsos leading the team, the Bears won the 1943 NFL Championship Game. Before the 1945 season, Johnsos received an offer to take over as head coach of the Cleveland Rams, but declined as he wished to stay in Chicago.{{cite news|agency=Associated Press|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/25459849/says_rams_offer_johnsos_20000/|title=Says Rams Offer Johnsos $20,000|newspaper=Chippewa Herald-Telegram|via=Newspapers.com|date=March 6, 1945|access-date=November 16, 2018}} Halas re-assumed head coaching duties in 1946 and Johnsos returned to his assistant role.{{cite news|last=Schlemmer|first=Jim|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/25459899/conditions_different/|title=Different Kind Of Bear Story Has Chicago And Akron Setting Halas' Club Shows Here Today|newspaper=Akron Beacon Journal|via=Newspapers.com|date=September 13, 1946|access-date=November 18, 2018}} In 1949, rumors surfaced of Johnsos becoming head coach of the Chicago Cardinals, though Halas denied it and Johnsos said he had not received an offer.
The Bears won the 1963 NFL Championship Game over the New York Giants with the help of a play designed by Johnsos nicknamed the "Ditka Special"; on third down late in the game, tight end Mike Ditka caught a pass that placed the Bears on the Giants' one-yard line. Quarterback Bill Wade scored the game-winning touchdown on the next play.
Johnsos retired from coaching after the 1969 season, ending 40 years at field level with the Bears. He remained involved in the organization as the director of technical research, replacing the late Paddy Driscoll, and served in the position through 1974.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-oshkosh-northwestern-bears-make-assi/166142583/|title=Bears Make Assignments|agency=UPI|newspaper=Oshkosh Northwestern|via=Newspapers.com|date=April 19, 1969|access-date=February 18, 2025}}{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/jacksonville-journal-courier-chicago-bea/166142628/|title=Chicago Bears' Coaching Staff Changed Again|agency=AP|newspaper=Journal-Courier|via=Newspapers.com|date=April 20, 1969|access-date=February 18, 2025}}{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/bears-1974-media-guide-chicago/|title=Chicago Bears 1974 Media Guide|work=Chicago Bears|date=August 15, 1974|access-date=February 18, 2025}}
Personal life
Johnsos was a former owner of the printing company Johnsos-Coppock Printing, which he later sold to Bagcraft Corp. of America but remained as an executive until late 1984. Two weeks after departing the company, he died on December 10 at the age of 79. He was survived by his wife Rosemary, four daughters, a son, and 15 grandchildren.
Head coaching record
=NFL=
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" | ||||||||
| rowspan="2"|Team | rowspan="2"|Year | colspan="5"|Regular Season | colspan="4"|Post Season | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result |
| style="background:#fdd;"
||11||0||0||{{winpct|11|0|0}}||1st in NFL Western|| 0 || 1 || {{winpct|0|1}} || Lost to Washington Redskins in NFL Championship Game. | ||||||||
| style="background:#FDE910;"
||8||1||1||{{winpct|8|1|1}}||1st in NFL Western|| 1 || 0 || {{winpct|1|0}} || 1943 NFL Champions | ||||||||
| CHI||1944
||6||3||1||{{winpct|6|3|1}}||2nd in NFL Western|| – || – || – || – | ||||||||
| CHI||1945
||3||7||0||{{winpct|3|7|0}}||4th in NFL Western|| – || – || – || – | ||||||||
| colspan="2"| CHI Total || 23 || 11 || 2 || {{winpct|23|11|2}} |||| 1 || 1 || {{winpct|1|1}} || – | ||||||||
| colspan="2"| Total || 23 || 11 || 2 || {{winpct|23|11|2}} |||| 1 || 1 || {{winpct|1|1}} || – |
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Navboxes|list=
{{Chicago Bears coach navbox}}
{{1932 Chicago Bears}}
{{1933 Chicago Bears}}
{{1943 Chicago Bears}}
{{1963 Chicago Bears}}
{{NFL receiving touchdown leaders}}
}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnsos, Luke}}
Category:American football ends
Category:Chicago Bears coaches
Category:Chicago Bears players
Category:Northwestern Wildcats baseball players
Category:Northwestern Wildcats football players
Category:Northwestern Wildcats men's basketball players
Category:Players of American football from Chicago
Category:American men's basketball players