In addition to being one of America's greatest athletes, Johnson also helped subdue an assassin -- and possibly saved lives.
In this July 28, 1984, file photo, 1960 U.S. gold medal decathlete Rafer Johnson carries the Olympic torch through the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum before lighting the Olympic flame and formally launching the 1984 summer games.
At the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, Rafer Johnson became the first Black man ever to light the cauldron at an opening ceremony,While it’s easy to ask why Johnson was the one chosen for the honor, a more appropriate question is, “Why would anyone else have even been considered?” In regards to his athletic prowess, Johnson was a star athlete in track and basketball at UCLA before going on to win a silver medal in the decathlon at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia.
Johnson was present at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles when Kennedy was shot by assailant Sirhan Sirhan following a campaign speech.Johnson, along with football player Rosey Grier and journalist George Plimpton, subdued Sirhan and prevented more gunfire from striking others at the gathering.
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