Man With a New Cause : Rams’ Johnson Has Joined Team in Fight Against Cancer

Johnnie Johnson, the Rams’ strong safety, can pinpoint the moment his carefree, bachelor’s life as a professional athlete began to change.

It was during a practice in 1983, and teammate Kirk Collins had just blown a chance for an interception.

“(Vince) Ferragamo threw a ball that went right over Kirk’s head, and he didn’t even react to it,” Johnson said. “We lined up next to each other in the huddle and I said, ‘Hey, man, are you OK?’

“He said, ‘Hey, Johnnie, I can’t see. I’m having blurred vision.’ ”

Collins also was spitting up blood, but it took Johnson about 10 minutes to persuade him to tell the trainers. The team doctors were called and Collins was taken to a clinic for tests that night.

“They told him what they suspected, and the next day the tests confirmed it,” Johnson said.

What they had suspected, and what the tests confirmed, was cancer of the esophagus.

“They told him what they thought his chances were--that he had about a 30% chance to live,” Johnson said. “No one who had that type of cancer had ever lived longer than a year.”

The Rams were stunned. Collins, who had just become the starting left cornerback, had led the National Football League with five interceptions before tearing a hamstring in the fourth game against the Jets. The cancer was discovered as he was about to rejoin the lineup. Six months later he was dead.

“At the time, he told only LeRoy (Irvin) and me,” Johnson said. “He didn’t want any sympathy. He didn’t want to blow it out of proportion.”

What would Collins think now?

Friday night, the Ram basketball team will play the Raider basketball team at Cal State Fullerton, more or less for fun but with a serious purpose. The gate--there’s a $5 admission--will benefit the American Cancer Society. The players are waiving their usual $100 game fees.

Cancer has become a cause with the Rams. They wore a small No. 42 on their helmets last season, in tribute to Collins, and are honoring his memory in more substantial ways.

The seven defensive backs and assistant coach Steve Shafer made each of the 17 interceptions worth $800 to the Cancer Society last season. Placekicker Mike Lansford donated $100 for each of his 25 field goals, and the Parker-Hanifan Corp. of Orange County double-matched that by donating $5,000.

The Ram Booster Club’s annual golf and tennis tournament also benefits the Cancer Society, and owner Georgia Frontiere has established a fund to assure a college education for Collins’ son Christopher, who will be 2 next month.

Johnson is on the board of directors of the Orange County chapter of the Cancer Society, and it’s not just an honorary position.

“One of the last things Kirk asked of me and LeRoy was to do as much as we could to help people down the line,” Johnson said. “He said, ‘Hey, if there’s no help for me, there’s gotta be something that can be done someday.’

“Kirk was the first person close to me to die of cancer. Up to then I took everything for granted. Being around healthy people all the time, it takes something like this to make you realize we are human.

“Right after I got over the shock I went down to the office of the American Cancer Society and told ‘em I wanted to become a volunteer. It would have been easy just to sit down and write out a check. But if I could donate some time, that’s where I want to help. I didn’t think I’d have the time, but I’m finding the time.”

Johnson not only helps to organize fund-raising events but makes many appearances himself.

“I’m no doctor, but fund-raising is something I can do,” he said. “This is something I expect to do the rest of my career.”