Larry Johnson

Apparently, it wasn't enough for Larry Johnson to end his Penn State career as the most prolific single-season runner in school history, with the Doak Walker Award as the nation's best running back tucked under one arm, and the Maxwell Club's player-of-the-year award tucked under the other. The gifted fifth-year senior also decided to end it by burnishing his image as an angry, sullen young man who holds just about everyone accountable for hard times but himself. And by discrediting his opponents.

Larry Johnson, one of the NBA's newest stars, admits he wasn't into card- collecting when he was a youngster. "No," he said with a sheepish grin, "we collected bicycles . . . and my mama wasn't very happy about that, either. " I recently had the opportunity to spend a couple of days with the Charlotte Hornets forward who was the 1991-92 Rookie of the Year. He was in New York in conjunction with the announcement that he had signed with Fleer as spokesman for its 1992-92 basketball cards.

Chiefs running back Larry Johnson pleaded innocent yesterday to charges that he threatened a former girlfriend with a handgun and slapped her in the face. "We vehemently deny that he threatened her or touched her in any way, shape or form," Johnson's attorney, Kevin Regan said after the player entered his plea via closed-circuit television from jail in Olathe, Kan. Johnson's bond was set at $5,000. "It's all up in the air," Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil said. "I feel sorry for the kid, but I feel it's going to all turn out favorably for him when it's all evaluated.

The New York Knicks and Larry Johnson finalized a buyout agreement yesterday that ends the 10-year veteran's NBA career. Johnson will receive the remaining $28.8 million owed on his contract, his agent said. Chronic back problems forced Johnson's retirement. He did not report to training camp. Johnson, who along with Allan Houston had been with the team longer than any player except Charlie Ward, was one of the Knicks' captains. The 32-year-old forward was drafted by Charlotte out of UNLV in 1991.

After their stomachs are full and the chatter among family and friends has quieted, Larry Johnson Sr. and his sons, Larry Jr. and Tony, gather in front of a television in their State College home and watch a videotape of that day's Penn State game. "We just watch it to enjoy it as a family," Larry Johnson Sr. said. "It's nice. " The tape of Saturday's 61-7 win over Michigan State at Beaver Stadium was of particular interest to the elder Johnson. As the Nittany Lions' defensive line coach, he was instructing his players when Larry Jr. brought the crowd of 108,755 to its feet with a 38-yard touchdown run late in the second quarter.

You wanted a war? You got one. New York and Miami provided just that last night when Knicks forward Larry Johnson and Heat center Alonzo Mourning ended Game 4 by getting into a fistfight with 1.4 seconds remaining in regulation, setting the stage for the decisive game in the best-of-five series, as the Knicks ended up with a 90-85 win in front of 19,763 at Madison Square Garden. Both Johnson and Allan Houston finished with 18 points. John Starks, who flew in after visiting his cancer-stricken mother in Tulsa, Okla.

As the Penncrest football team headed into the locker room for a lunch break after completing the morning portion of a two-a-day practice session recently, several youngsters stood outside and watched. Their eyes lit up as they marveled at the size and strength of the older football players. "There's Chris DeFino," the youngsters said. "There's Larry Johnson. " They were in awe. DeFino and Johnson can appreciate what those youngsters were feeling as they watched the Penncrest practice.

Larry Johnson faced every senior's nightmare, but he calmly turned it into the end of Woodbury's dream. In front of a screaming packed house, Johnson sank two foul shots with 12 seconds left to give fourth-seeded Burlington City a 57-56 victory over eighth-seeded Woodbury last night in a South Jersey Group 1 boys' basketball semifinal. City (17-8) will play Florence, a 70-50 semifinal winner over Burlington Township, in the final Monday at Clearview. The loss ended a Cinderella run for Woodbury (17-10)

The plot for tomorrow's fifth and final game between the Miami Heat and New York Knicks became a rerun from last year yesterday. Alonzo Mourning of the Heat and Larry Johnson and Chris Mills of the Knicks were suspended by the NBA for their part in the fight that marred the end of Thursday's Game 4 in this best-of-five first-round series. None of them will be in uniform tomorrow. Mourning and Johnson, the two main combatants, received two-game suspensions for throwing numerous punches - none of which landed - at each other with 1.4 seconds left and the game decided.

Larry Johnson, who says he is a basketball player who just happens to play soccer in his spare time, will have to wait a little longer before practicing his jump shot. And he has nobody to blame but himself. Johnson extended his soccer career at least one more game by getting a goal and an assist yesterday as visiting Burlington City defeated rival Burlington Township, 2-0, in a South Jersey Group 1 quarterfinal. Fifth-seeded City (13-6-1) advanced to next week's Group 1 semifinal against Haddonfield, which beat Palmyra, 4-0, yesterday.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - New Penn State head coach Bill O'Brien increased his coaching staff to three, with Ron Vanderlinden joining Larry Johnson as holdovers from the previous administration of Joe Paterno and Tom Bradley. But the fate of Bradley and quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno, son of the former head coach, was not known Sunday after they met with O'Brien. O'Brien finished up meetings with the assistant coaches Sunday before introducing himself to the members of his new team and then flying back to New England to resume his duties as the Patriots' offensive coordinator.

STATE COLLEGE - It became all but certain when he took a seat among the reporters, alumni and faculty awaiting Bill O'Brien's highly anticipated introduction on Saturday. And it became official minutes later, when Penn State's new head football coach announced the first member of his coaching staff - Larry Johnson. "I look forward to working with Larry," said O'Brien, drawing a loud applause in the ballroom of the Nittany Lion Inn. Johnson, who promptly smiled and offered a quick wave following the announcement, will stay on staff as Penn State's defensive line coach.

Austin Johnson says he's still committed to playing football at Penn State. For now. Johnson, a two-way tackle for St. Augustine Prep in Richland, Atlantic County, said Friday he's "waiting to see" what happens as far as the makeup of the coaching staff at Penn State. "Right now, I'm still committed," Johnson said. "But I want to see who the new head coach is going to be and what's going to happen with some of the assistants. " Johnson said he committed to Penn State in June for three reasons: the quality of the school; the presence of legendary head coach Joe Paterno; and his connection with defensive line coach Larry Johnson, who is no relation.

Austin Johnson says he's still committed to playing football at Penn State. For now. Johnson, a two-way tackle for St. Augustine Prep in Richland, Atlantic County, said Friday he's "waiting to see" what happens as far as the makeup of the coaching staff at Penn State. "Right now, I'm still committed," Johnson said. "But I want to see who the new head coach is going to be and what's going to happen with some of the assistants. " Johnson said he committed to Penn State in June for three reasons: the quality of the school, the presence of legendary head coach Joe Paterno, and his connection with defensive line coach Larry Johnson, who is no relation.

IT SEEMS the Kansas City Chiefs can't win on or off the field. The Chiefs (1-6) announced yesterday they are cutting Larry Johnson's suspension for gay slurs in half. Not because they want to, but because they are afraid the running back will beat them in arbitration. Johnson used gay slurs twice last week, once on Twitter and once in front of reporters. The Chiefs promptly suspended him for 2 weeks for conduct detrimental to the team. According to the Associated Press , the team, the NFL Management Council and the NFL Players Association came to an agreement that will allow Johnson to play after Nov. 9, which means he will miss Sunday's game at Jacksonville.

Chiefs running back Larry Johnson says he wants to leave Kansas City. During an appearance yesterday on a Kansas City radio station, Johnson said he thinks it's time for him and the Chiefs to "break ties. " He said his departure would allow the Chiefs to find "what they want, and I can try to go on and rebuild my career and find what I want. " Chiefs spokesman Bob Moore said there was nothing that came out of the interview that hadn't been talked about before. Johnson just completed a season in which he was benched for three games for violating team rules and suspended by the league for a fourth game for violating NFL player-conduct rules.

Larry Johnson is staying at Penn State. After a weeklong flirtation with Illinois, and what he called a "flattering" job offer, the Penn State defensive line coach has decided to stick with the Nittany Lions. Last weekend, Johnson met with Illini coach Ron Zook and was offered the defensive coordinator position. He said the prospect of taking a step closer to his ultimate goal of becoming a head coach nearly made him leave State College after 13 seasons. "It was a chance to move up to defensive coordinator and put your brand on it," Johnson said last night.

Larry Johnson, already facing possible suspension by the NFL, was charged yesterday with simple assault for spitting his drink in a woman's face. Several hours later, the Kansas City Chiefs indicated the two-time Pro Bowl running back would not play for the foreseeable future. A person familiar with the situation told the Associated Press that Johnson would meet with league officials in New York today. The person requested anonymity because the league has not announced the meeting.

Chiefs coach Herman Edwards benched Larry Johnson for yesterday's home game with Tennessee for violating team rules. Now, Kansas City's star running back soon might incur additional punishment, this time from the NFL - and for different reasons. During the Chiefs' recent bye week, Johnson was involved in a physical altercation with a woman at a Kansas City nightclub, according to a report on ESPN.com - the second such late-night incident he's found himself in this year. The incident is consistent with a pattern of off-the-field behavior that league sources expect will lead to a suspension.