Johnson Calls His Ironman Triathlon `New Super Bowl'

NEW YORK - Butch Johnson couldn't believe his eyes several years ago when he saw a picture of himself taken at a New Year's Eve party. He had ballooned to 227 pounds - much heavier than his playing weight of 185 with the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos from 1976-85.

"I looked like 2 tons of fun," Johnson said. "I said, `If I keep this up, I'll be dead in two years.' . . . I was just sitting around in an office running a car dealership. I had gained 35 or 40 pounds without even noticing it."

The shock of his blubbery body sent the 6-foot-1 Johnson running to the nearest gym to begin training. And train he did.

He lost all the extra pounds and now is back to his old playing weight. He's in such stellar shape that he's ready to compete in the grueling Ironman Triathlon World Championship on Oct. 18 in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

"That's my new Super Bowl," said Johnson, who played in the 1978 and 1979 Super Bowls with the Cowboys, catching a touchdown pass in each game from Roger Staubach, including a diving 41-yarder that is considered one of the greatest TD receptions in the game.

"I've never faced a bigger athletic challenge than this, but I look at my competing in the Ironman Triathlon championship as a nice way of reminding the world that it's possible to stay very fit well beyond your so-called prime."

The Ironman competition includes a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile marathon run.

Johnson tuned up for the Ironman by competing in a mini-triathlon - a half-mile swim, a 20-mile bike ride and a 5-mile run - in Clermont, Fla., in April; and in a half-Ironman - a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride and a 13-mile run - in Ventura, Calif., in August.

"I built up for the mini and the triathlon, just like I'm building up for the Ironman," said Johnson, who began training for the events last December and has trimmed down to a 30-inch waist with only 7 percent body fat. "So I was able to go through each stage comfortably, just like I plan to do in the Ironman."

The 43-year-old Johnson has no illusions now about competing against such elite triathletes as Dave Scott, six-time Ironman champion. That's because he's able to work out only about 2 1/2-3 hours a day.

"If I had four hours a day to train and trained for a year, there's no doubt where I would be - among the elite," Johnson said. "I'm built for an Ironman. I'm what their physical stature is. As a receiver, you build up a lot of endurance.

"I'm hoping in the next three years to get in those hours to compete at the elite level."

Johnson, who lives in Denver, is also busy with the inaugural Pro Flag Football Tour, of which he is founder, president and chief executive officer. Regular-season games are being played nationwide; national championships are Jan. 23-24 in Las Vegas.

While football again is Johnson's work, staying fit remains his goal. Each week, he swims about five miles, bikes 200 miles and runs 40 miles.

"It seems that he runs, bikes and swims farther every day," said his wife, Carleen. "He's getting faster and faster. (He wants) to make sure he's ready for Hawaii."

Johnny Rodgers, the 1972 Heisman Trophy winner from Nebraska who is working with the Pro Flag Football Tour, said he admires Johnson and his determination.

"It's a testament to his athletic ability that made him such a great NFL receiver," he said.

Johnson got the inspiration to compete in triathlons from Jim Ward, an 80-year-old who competes in triathlons. Johnson told him, "If you can do it, I can do it."

Johnson is not the first former NFL player to compete in the Ironman. Darryl Haley, a 6-foot-6, 290-pounder who played a total of seven seasons with the New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns, has competed in the past two Ironmans. John Cannon, a 6-4 defensive lineman who played nine seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and who has dropped from 265 pounds to 235 while training for the Ironman, is competing this year.

Johnson, who had 193 catches for 3,091 yards (a 16.0 average) and 28 touchdowns during his NFL career, is intrigued by the benefits of his rigorous training.

"It's interesting to see how the body changes," he said. "It shows you can turn back the clock. My face has aged a lot, but I look the same or even better than when I played in the NFL because I don't have as much body fat.

"I'm trying to get people to work out and take care of their bodies. You're never too old to compete."