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Ex-football player has message of hope By MELISSA MARTIN CENTRAL POINT -- Cincinnati Bengals all-star Ken Johnson sifts through the stack of 3-by-5 index cards filled with comments written by junior high school students. One student writes that she tried to commit suicide twice, but after listening to Johnson's talk at an assembly at her school, she has reason to keep living. A student wrote that hearing Johnson tell about his poor choices saved her basketball career and may keep her away from alcohol. Another wrote that Johnson's talk inspired his vow to never have sex again until marriage. The 6-foot-6, 260-pound retired defensive end gets cards from kids all over the country. He's an employee of Sports World, an Indianapolis-based, non-profit group that sends former professional athletes to schools. "Kids need a forum," Johnson says. "They need someone to listen to them and someone to care about them." Johnson spoke to about 1,400 students Wednesday at Scenic Middle School, and North Medford and South Medford high schools. He will speak to students in Prospect, Butte Falls, Eagle Point and Talent before he heads back to his Atlanta home this weekend. At Scenic Middle School on Wednesday, Johnson quickly got the attention of the 780 students in the bleachers when he told them he used to bench-press 425 pounds and that he had tackled the likes of O.J. Simpson, running back with the Buffalo Bills, Walter Payton, Chicago Bears running back, and Terry Bradshaw, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback. The students listened in silence as Johnson described his days playing basketball on a scholarship with Indiana University. His abilities earned him a spot in the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. "There were three areas in my life that robbed me as a basketball player -- sex, alcohol and drugs. I call it SAD," Johnson said. "If you want to be glad, say no to SAD." Johnson told students about three events that shaped his life: his college roommate having to get married because his girlfriend was pregnant (she then later tried to commit suicide because the marriage was so troubled); his sister's death from an auto accident caused by a drunk driver; and the tragedy 10 years ago of Len Bias, a Boston Celtics first-round draft pick who died at age 22 from a cocaine-induced heart attack. "I want you to know how quickly your life can change," Johnson said. "You could leave this room, make the wrong choices, meet the wrong people and your life could change instantly." It happened to him, Johnson told the assembly. He averaged 24 points a game at Indiana University and was the second leading rebounder in the league until his senior year, when he became involved in sex, alcohol and drugs. His point average dropped to 12. His personal struggles continued during the next seven years as an all-pro tackle for the Bengals. In 1978, the new van he was driving stalled on a railroad track in Anderson, Ind., and was hit by a train that dragged it 100 yards with Johnson inside. He was rushed to the hospital, where tests showed no broken bones or internal injuries. "I walked out of there with seven stitches and you should have seen that van -- the doors collapsed, the windows shattered. The only thing untouched was the seat I was sitting in. I knew I was spared for a reason." His second chance at life has motivated him to talk to 1 million students from 3,000 schools since he joined Sports World in 1981. His message to students is this: "You can overcome anything in your life if you start making right choices," Johnson said. He asked students needing help to call a toll-free number sponsored by Teen Challenge, 1-800-HIT-HOME (or 1-800-448-4663). After the assembly, sixth-grader Justin Blake had Johnson's football card in hand as he stood in line with 100 other students seeking autographs. "I think this will help make a difference for me because I have goals ahead and if I don't mess around with SAD, I can achieve them," Blake said. Blake is a drummer who wants to play in a band as well as earn a black belt in karate by his freshman year. Michelle Moberty, a Scenic eighth-grader, said she was moved to tears when Johnson described his sister's death and his train wreck. "It made you cry," Moberty said. "It was really touching." Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA