Don Johnson

When Johnson graduated from Sharpsville High School in 1958, he weighed 125 pounds and would have been anyone’s longshot for a spot in the Howard County Sports Hall of Fame. As it turns out, ours wasn’t even his first such honor. After taking a job as a pin-setter for Don Lowry at Play Bowl, Johnson began his trek to the top of the bowling world. Before his professional career ended, Johnson had become a 26-time Professional Bowlers Association champion, Bowler of the Year in 1971 and 1972 and a Hall of Fame inductee by the PBA (1977) and American Bowling Congress (1982). In 1999, Bowling Magazine picked him as eighth best bowler of the century. After raising funds in the community, Johnson joined the tour on a part-time basis in 1962, went full-time in 1963 and a year later won his first event at Denver.

Known as the “Kokomo Kid” on the PBA Tour, Johnson was the top PBA money-winner from 1966-73; set the per-game average records of 212 in 1971 and 215 in 1972; made Chris Schenkel’s Professional Bowlers Show 46 times and tossed 30 sanctioned 300 games.

Johnson moved to Las Vegas in 1974 as pro at Charleston Heights Bowl and opened a school where he taught for 20 years. He suffered a nerve injury in his hand in 1978 and never recovered to the point he could re-join the PBA Tour.