After becoming Michigan’s top student-athlete (1966-68) and earning All-America honors his senior year as a halfback, Ron Johnson played for seven years (1969-75) in the NFL as a first-round pick of the Cleveland Browns and an MVP running back for the NY Giants. While still a player, he embarked on a career as a real estate executive and entrepreneur.

During his NFL playing days, in which he secured two trips to the Pro Bowl, Johnson worked for the Hanson Development Company as a financial analyst. He then worked for Dean Witter Reynolds as an institutional salesman and Burlington Industries as a sales manager before founding Rackson. He holds a B.A. from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University, In 1983, Johnson founded the Rackson Corporation, which currently operates 24 KFC franchises in New Jersey, Tennessee, and Michigan.

Ron takes an active role in the community, and his past board service includes the Hackensack Medical Center, Big Brothers, the Boy Scouts, University of Michigan Athletics and Business Schools, and Harlem Junior Tennis. He is the Co-Founder and Executive Board Member of MAN etc., and Chairman of The National Football Foundation, making him the organization’s 5th chairman in 59 years.