Former second round pick for the Dallas Coyboys, Daryl “Moose” Johnston has been named the Director of Player Personal for the XFL Dallas franchise. The official Twitter account of the XFL made the announcement earlier today by posting the following.
OFFICIAL: @DarylJohnston will be joining the @XFLDallas staff as the Director of Player Personnel. #XFL2020 pic.twitter.com/5k3kF2OFiW
— XFL (@XFL2023) May 15, 2019
Johnston was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round (39th overall) of the 1989 NFL Draft. As a rookie, he received his nickname “Moose” from backup quarterback Babe Laufenberg because of his large stature compared to the rest of the running backs. The name caught on among Dallas fans who would chant “Moooooose” whenever he made a play.
As a Cowboy, Johnston played in 149 consecutive games from 1989-1997. He also became one of the greatest special teams players in franchise history.
He scored 22 career touchdowns and had more receptions than carries. His 294 receptions is the third highest number among Cowboys running backs, totaling 2,227 yards for a 7.6 yards average, compared to 232 carries for 753 yards for a 3.2 yards average. In 1993 Johnston had 50 receptions and averaged 7.4 yards per catch.
Due mainly to Johnston’s contributions, the NFL created the fullback position in the Pro Bowl. Prior to this change, blocking fullbacks had little chance of beating out traditional running backs, who had better statistics. In 1993 Johnston became the first fullback ever selected for the Pro Bowl, earning trips in 1993 and in 1994.
Johnston retired at the end of the 1999 season, after suffering a neck injury. He was a member of three Super Bowl winning teams.
In 2018, he was named the General Manager of the San Antonio Commanders of the Alliance of American Football. This makes Johnston the first hire from the defunct AAF, hopefully the first of many.
