John Louis "Johnny Zero" Clement (October 31, 1919 - December 11, 1969) was an
American football
American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...
quarterback
The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
. He played
college football
College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
for SMU from 1937 to 1940 and professional football for the
Chicago Cardinals
The professional American football team now known as the Arizona Cardinals previously played in Chicago, Illinois, as the Chicago Cardinals from 1898 to 1959 before relocating to St. Louis, Missouri, for the 1960 through 1987 seasons.
Roots ca ...
(1941),
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
(1946-1948), and Chicago Hornets (1949). In 1947, he led the NFL with an average of 5.2 yards per rushing carry in 1947, and his 670 rushing yards ranked second in the NFL. His career was cut short by a pinched nerve in his neck.
Early years
Clement was born in 1919 in Stonebluff, Oklahoma. He attended Eldorado High School in Eldorado, Texas. He later enrolled at
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University (SMU) is a Private university, private research university in Dallas, Texas, United States, with a satellite campus in Taos County, New Mexico. SMU was founded on April 17, 1911, by the Methodist Episcopal Church, ...
. He played college football as a halfback for the SMU Mustangs from 1937 to 1940.
Professional football
Chicago Cardinals
Clement was selected by the Chicago Cardinals in the fourth round, 28th overall pick, of the 1941 NFL draft. He appeared in nine games, four as a starter, for the Cardinals during the 1941 season, tallying 690 passing yards and 94 rushing yards.
Military service
After the 1941 season, Clement served as an officer in the U.S. Army Air Corps during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
Prior to the 1946 season, the Cardinals traded Clement to the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
. Clement had worn the jersey number "zero" while playing football for the military and became known as "Johnny Zero" in 1944.("Maxwell's big machine will pin its hopes on their ace passer and runner, 'Johnny Zero' Clement ...") While playing for Pittsburgh, continued to wear the "zero" jersey number.
In 1946, Clement appeared in 11 games, tallying 345 passing yards and 60 rushing yards.
Clement had his best season in 1947. In 10 games, he completed 42 of 123 passes (42.3%) for 1,004 yards, seven touchdowns, and nine interceptions. He also tallied 670 rushing yards on 129 carries (5.2 yards per carry) with four rushing touchdowns. His average of 5.2 yards per carry was the best in the NFL, and his 670 rushing yards ranked second. At the end of the 1947 season, he was selected by the
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City.
Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...
for the All-NFL team.
In 1948, Clement appeared in five games, tallying 281 passing yards and 261 rushing yards. His season was cut short when he experienced numbness in his left arm. He had pinched a nerve in his neck in 1946, and the nerve injury recurred and cut short his 1948 season.
Chicago Hornets
In August 1949, having been offered no contract by the Steelers, Clement signed with the Chicago Hornets of the
All-America Football Conference
The All-America Football Conference (AAFC) was a major professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League (NFL) from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many ...
(AAFC). He completed 58 of 114 passes (50.9%) for 906 yards, six touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. His 906 passing yards ranked sixth in the AAFC. He also tallied 388 rushing yards (3.7 yards per carry) on 106 carries with five rushing touchdowns.
Later years
Clement and his wife, Anita, had a son, Michael, born in 1948. Clement had been a pilot in World War II and flew his own private plane, a Cessna 210, in the 1960s. In January 1970, Clement was found dead in the wreckage of his Cessna that crashed near Mountain City, Tennessee. The aircraft had been reported missing on December 11, 1969.