Dave Johnson (athlete) - Athletics

Athletics

Even as a child Johnson was exceptionally fit and coordinated and lifted weights from a young age. In college at Azusa Pacific University he started to compete in the decathlon - at 6'4", he put his innate abilities and his constant physical training to use and began setting records. He graduated from the school in 1986 with a bachelors degree in psychology, and later earned a masters degree in 2003 from the school in special education. After several years he was generally acknowledged as the best decathlete to date. At this time Dan O'Brien appeared on the scene and began to provide Dave with his first real competition. O'Brien and Johnson became good friends and consistently placed first and second in most events. O'Brien eventually began to be considered the best overall decathlete, but Johnson earned the recognition as the best ever at 2nd day events. Johnson was a member of the 1988 U.S. Olympic team.

For the 1992 Summer Olympics Games the team of "Dan & Dave" was promoted as the real competition in the games and the question of who would take first and who would come in second was widely debated. Dan failed to qualify for the team when he no-heighted on the pole vault, leaving Dave as the presumed gold medal winner. Unfortunately for him, Johnson experienced a stress fracture in his left foot on the first day of events. He put on a shoe two sizes larger, laced it up tight, and competed anyway and won the bronze medal. Johnson's endorsement career continued for at least another year after the Barcelona Olympic Games and included Oakley Sunglasses, Pert Shampoo, Ryder Trucks, and Reebok shoes among others.