“I couldn’t ride the horses,” Johnson (above, center) speaks of his start in racing. “I was too big. I had to have someone ride them for me.” (Press Pros Photos Provided)
His story proves that one size, and one sport does not fit all people. Oscar Johnson left the world of professional football for the world of horse stalls and an individual life style that few would have guessed. And with no regrets.
By Bob Roberts for Press Pros
There’s not a one-size-fits-all blueprint to becoming a harness horseman in Ohio. Walk through the paddock of one of the state’s four raceways and you’ll find trainers and drivers coming and going from Ohio’s farm counties like Pickaway and Preble, as well as those from urban centers like Cleveland and Columbus. There are also competitors from Canada, and a sprinkling of Europeans.
And then there is Oscar Johnson Jr.
Veteran racing columnist Bob Roberts writes harness racing for the Ohio Harness Horseman Association.
You can’t miss him. He’s 6’ 6” tall and around 300 pounds. His road to the barn area of Northfield Park this year is unlike the path taken by most of the horsemen he’s trying to beat to the finish line for cash and contentment.
While his rivals may have learned their standardbred lessons from a father or uncle at a county fairground somewhere in the Buckeye state, Johnson’s journey started when he was a teenager racing horses on dirt roads in his hometown of Crystal Springs, Mississippi.
It was interrupted by a standout football career that took him from an offensive line position in college football to the NFL’s Tennessee Titans and Carolina Panthers.
But Johnson’s love of horses came before football through a longstanding cultural tradition in Mississippi where standardbreds are purchased for a competition known as “back-riding” or “back-pacing.” While they are equipped with hobbles, the horses race under saddle on straight dirt roads.
“There’s a little money changing hands, too,” said Johnson. ”We want to see who has the fastest horse. I didn’t get on them. Too big. I had somebody ride for me.”
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So far, in his training career that spans just two and a half years, Johnson has won 64 races and has purse earnings of $393,842. He’s enjoying a super month this August at Northfield. From a stable of a dozen horses, he has sent out 23 starters with four victories, five runner-up finishes, and a pair of thirds.
“I like harness racing because it’s just like playing sports. It’s competitive,” said Johnson. “You’ve got to be ready. The best horse doesn’t always win. There’s room for longshots.”
Johnson’s first winner as a trainer came on March 19, 2023, at Cooper Downs, a track in Terry, Mississippi. The horse, Run Oneover N, paced home in 2:02.3. He earned $137 of the $250 purse. There was no wagering at the oval used mainly as a training facility.
“What did I do with the money [I won]?” says Johnson. “I bought some feed for tthe horses.”
Johnson’s first winner as a trainer at a pari-mutuel track came one month later (April 22, 2023) when KJ Erich won off as much the best in 1:58.3 at Shenandoah Downs in Virginia.
“And I got No. 2 the next day at Shenandoah with a horse named Just A Passenger,” said Johnson. “There is a work ethic in football, and there is a similar work ethic in racing. You’ve got to put in a lot of hours and a lot of hard work to succeed.”
While racing was always on his mind, Johnson had to put a large part of it on hold to concentrate on playing offensive guard and tackle, first in high school and then at Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Wesson, Mississippi.
He showed enough promise at the junior college level that offers from four-year schools were on the table, including bids from Baylor, Mississippi State, Louisiana Tech, Marshall, and UAB. Johnson selected Louisiana Tech, the alma mater of Pittsburgh Steeler Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw.
His play in Division I football caught the eye of NFL scouts. He attended the NFL Scouting Combine but was undrafted.
“That was rough, very emotional,” said Johnson.
His disappointment didn’t last long. He got a call from the Tennessee Titans and signed as a free agent. Three years with Tennessee were followed by two years with the Carolina Panthers. A right shoulder injury and subsequent surgery ended Johnson’s career.
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Years later, the shoulder occasionally nags him around the barn. “It has its days,” he said.
While he was with Tennessee, Johnson would dash from the Titans’ training facility in Nashville for a two-hour drive to Thunder
Ridge Raceway in Paducah, Kentucky, where he had horses in training.
“They didn’t bet much down there, but I had fun and won a bunch of races,” he said. “It’s where I had my favorite horse, Blueridge Straight. He won for me many times.”
Johnson found his way to Northfield Park this past spring and is glad he made the move.
“I came because it’s someplace I haven’t been and management gave me stalls,” he said. “I love it here. They have real good purses. As for winter racing, I don’t know. I hate cold weather. I usually run from it.”
Although he played pro football, spending his Sundays watching regular season games today isn’t too high on his list of things to do.
“I like the playoffs and the Super Bowl, but I’m not a regular viewer. I’m too busy with the horses,” said Johnson.
These days, he’s busy looking for horses to add to his barn.
“I lost a horse named Shrimp And Grits last week,” said Johnson. “He was claimed for $6,000. I used to eat at a restaurant in Charlotte called the Cajun Queen. I remember them having good shrimp and grits.”
Pass Oscar a menu and a claim slip. It’s time to fill his plate and any empty stalls.
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