Rafer Johnson to Get a ‘Teddy’

Rafer Johnson, the former UCLA athlete who won the Olympic decathlon in 1960 and 24 years later lit the Olympic torch at the Los Angeles Summer Games, tonight will receive the NCAA’s Theodore Roosevelt Award.

The award, known as the “Teddy,” is considered the most prestigious honor the NCAA can bestow on an individual. Previous winners include former presidents Dwight Eisenhower, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan and George Bush.

Johnson, known for his business and civic endeavors, will receive the award during the NCAA’s honors dinner, part of the association’s 88th annual convention.