Bob Johnson (football)

Robert Douglas Johnson (born August 19, 1946 in Gary, Indiana) is a former American football center who played twelve seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals first in the American Football League, and then in the National Football League. He was an AFL All-Star in 1968. Johnson was the last original Bengal to retire, and his uniform number 54 was retired by the team, and remains the only number the team has retired.

Johnson played college football at the University of Tennessee and in 1989 was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

He was the first player chosen by the Bengals in their initial season. He was the second pick overall in the draft, preceded by future Hall of Famer Ron Yary. He was the second highest center ever selected in an NFL Draft, after Ki Aldrich in 1939.

Following his retirement as a player, Johnson worked as a color analyst on Bengals radio from 1981 to 1985.