Trade 1
July 1, 1954
San Francisco 49ers received John Henry Johnson.
NFL Trade History
John Henry Johnson NFL Trade History
TradeVerdicts connects John Henry Johnson to 3 exact public NFL transactions involving Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, and Detroit Lions.
3 Recorded trades
3 Teams represented
1954–1960 Trade-history span
Player Transaction Context
Why John Henry Johnson Appears in the Trade Database
This profile follows John Henry Johnson across 3 recorded transactions from July 1, 1954 through April 11, 1960. Each connection below comes from the database relationship for that transaction rather than a name-only search.
Trade 2
May 15, 1957
Detroit Lions received John Henry Johnson.
Trade 3
April 11, 1960
Pittsburgh Steelers received John Henry Johnson.
Across this profile, the recorded verdicts are San Francisco 49ers Win; Detroit Lions Win; Pittsburgh Steelers Win. The timeline spans 1954–1960 and 3 represented teams.
How to Read This Profile
Trade History Overview
Every transaction below comes from an explicit player-to-trade relationship in the TradeVerdicts database. Name-only substring matching is not used.
The cards summarize the date, teams, assets, grades, and verdict. Open the full trade page for the complete analysis and sourcing context. Grading standards are explained in the TradeVerdicts methodology.
Chronological Timeline
3 Recorded Trades
Trade 1 of 3
Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers
Pittsburgh sent John Henry Johnson to San Francisco in 1954 for halfback Ed Pullerton. The 49ers' own trade history confirms the straight player-for-player exchange. Johnson joined the famed Million Dollar Backfield, produced at a high level and eventually entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Pullerton did not deliver comparable Pittsburgh value, making San Francisco's advantage clear and allowing the confidence level to rise.
Assets Received
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Player Ed Pullerton
San Francisco 49ers
- Player John Henry Johnson
Team Grades
Trade 2 of 3
Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers
Detroit acquired Hall of Fame fullback John Henry Johnson and a 1958 seventh-round pick from San Francisco for defensive back Bill Stits. Johnson immediately led the 1957 Lions with 621 rushing yards and helped them win the NFL championship, then remained productive for three Detroit seasons. Stits gave the 49ers defensive-back service, but the centerpiece value went overwhelmingly to Detroit.
Assets Received
San Francisco 49ers
- Player Bill Stits
Detroit Lions
- Player John Henry Johnson
- Pick 1958 seventh round pick (#83-Ralph Pfeifer)
Team Grades
Trade 3 of 3
Detroit Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh acquired fullback John Henry Johnson from Detroit in April 1960 for two draft selections that the Lions used on Dick Mills in 1961 and John Lomakoski in 1962. Johnson enjoyed the best stretch of his Hall of Fame career with the Steelers, becoming the franchise's first 1,000-yard rusher and making three Pro Bowls. Detroit's two picks produced little comparable impact.
Assets Received
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Player John Henry Johnson
Detroit Lions
- Pick 1961 third round pick (#34-Dick Mills)
- Pick 1962 fourth round pick (#48-John Lomakoski)