ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Former New York Giants running back Ron Johnson, who was the first black player to be a captain of the Michigan football team, has died. He was 71.
Michigan announced on Saturday that Johnson had died after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. He was in an assisted living facility in New Jersey.
Johnson was an All-American for the Wolverines in 1968 when he set a school record that still stands with 347 yards rushing against Wisconsin. He ran for 1,391 yards that season and scored a school-record 19 touchdowns, another record that still stands.