Garland Sports Hall of Fame

Homer Johnson

Homer B. Johnson's 27 years of outstanding service as Athletic Director of the Garland Independent School District beginning in 1963 is recognized by his induction into the Garland Sports Hall of Fame. He has guided the district athletic program as it has grown from the original Garland High School to encompass four additional high schools, plus numerous middle schools. Homer's involvement in Garland athletics began when he moved to the community during the WWII period. He was a member of the 1942 Owl bi-district champion football squad and a center for the undefeated 1943 regional champions. Homer was starting center for the 1944 undefeated regional champions and received all-district honorable mention. He was second baseman for the 1945 Owl district champion baseball team, which competed in the state championship invitational tournament. He participated in football at Texas A&M in 1945 and continued his football participation at North Texas State in 1946 and 1947. In the fall of 1948, Homer joined the Garland High School coaching staff and became the Owl varsity backfield coach in 1949, when Garland won its third regional title. Beginning in 1950, Homer was head coach for the Garland baseball team, except during his absence in 1952 and 1953 while in the Army during the Korean Conflict. His 1955 baseball team won the district title, and his final team in 1957 was district champion and won bi-district and regional titles, before losing at the state tournament in Austin. With Homer as backfield coach, the Owl football team won a district championship in 1954, advanced to the state finals in 1955, won the Class AAA state championship in 1956, and played in the quarterfinals in 1957. In 1958, Homer became the Garland head football coach and 1960 guided the Owls to their first Class AAA district championship.