But not nearly as much as he does today.

The former West Virginia football standout is currently taking care of the futures of countless investors for Prudential Securities, Inc. in Bridgeport, W.Va.

Johnson, a vice-president at the Bridgeport firm, gained his financial savvy while playing football with the Atlanta Falcons in 1989.

"When I was drafted and making money, I had to find a way to keep it," said Johnson from the telephone at his office. "So first I started buying CDs, then I realized I needed to protect those earnings from taxes. Eventually I had some advice on two stocks to follow -- Office Depot and Oracle."

Still new to the trade in 1989, Johnson didn't take the astute financial advice he'd received to heart.

"I got rid of both of them because I didn't know any better back then," he joked.

Today is a different story, however.

Included among his investors are several professional football players.

Johnson's current investment career has proven to be a carbon copy of his football career at WVU.

The Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., native was part of the first wave of top-notch Florida recruits to sign with WVU in winter of 1984.

"My high school coach (Rick Perry) was from West Virginia and he kept bugging me to go there," Johnson recalled. "I came here to visit in 1983 and I remember flying into Morgantown and it was so cold. I got off the plane and I thought to myself, 'I've got to be a damned fool to come here.'

"Little did I know that I would wind up staying here all of these years," he added.

Johnson still ranks fifth all-time among West Virginia rushers with 2,211 career yards. Amos Zereoue, Artie Owens, Robert Walker and Robert Alexander only top that total.

"To rank among the school's all-time leading rushers as a part-time player is something I'm very proud of," Johnson said.

He led West Virginia in rushing as a sophomore in 1986, and became one of just 11 WVU players to rush for more than 200 yards in a game against Temple in 1985.

"I didn't even touch the field the next game," he joked.

According to Johnson, who also lettered in track, his best game at West Virginia came at Syracuse in 1987. He finished that contest with 119 yards on 21 carries.

"That game at Syracuse was my best game at West Virginia," he admitted. "I played well against a great team that was ranked high, and we should have won the game."

Johnson accumulated eight 100-yard games from 1985-88. He joins teammate A.B. Brown as the last duo to rush for more than 100 yards in the same game against Penn State in 1988.

Johnson gained 55 of those yards on the final play of the half.

West Virginia went on to produce the school's first undefeated, untied, regular season in school history. Johnson is proud to be a member of that team.

"That was a great team. I've made friends for life off that team," he said.

At the end of the 1988 season, the Associated Press named Johnson to its honorable mention all-East team, despite the fact that Undra shared the tailback duties with Brown.

"I wouldn't trade it for nothing," he said of his football career in Morgantown. "If I could play football at West Virginia again, I would."

After graduation, Johnson played with the Dallas Cowboys, Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints. He also spent a season with San Antonio in the World League.

Shortly afterward, Johnson got a job with Merrill Lynch.

Just last May, he joined Prudential Securities.

As for Johnson's investment advice?

"This is the greatest time to invest," he said. "Take your money and invest it into quality stocks and leave it there for 10 years or longer. The name of the game is taking care of your money early, especially young people."

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