Samuel Olliff "Sammy" Johnson, 76, of Statesboro, Georgia, went home to be with the Lord on June 10, 2026.
Sammy was preceded in death by his parents, Grady and Lottie Johnson; his brother, Gary Johnson; and his sister, Jacqueline Varnell.
He is survived by his wife of 31 years, Mary Johnson; his children, Heather (Jon) Wayne, Christy Aldrich, Amy Weiser, Kelly (Chris) Miller, Ginger Johnson and Tucker Hall; his sister, Terry (Terry) Joiner; his brother-in-law, Ricky Varnell; 10 grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, several beloved nieces and nephews and his longtime best friends, Landrum Hodges and Edward Hitt.
Sammy was born and raised in Statesboro, running the roads around Bulloch County and the farmland that’s now home to the Georgia Southern football stadium.
He loved to fish with his family on the Ogeechee River, at Cypress Lake, in the ocean or anywhere there was water.
Sammy was an accomplished athlete. He grew up playing football at the recreation department and then at Statesboro High School, where his team won the 1966 State Championship. He was inducted into the Statesboro High Athletic Hall of Fame in 1993.
Sammy was also an extremely talented gymnast and boxer. His dedication to weightlifting continued for most of his life, even leading him to design and manufacture his own weightlifting equipment, and local folks knew they would likely lose to Sammy in an arm-wrestling challenge.
After high school, he attended Carolina Military Academy in Maxton, N.C., where he played football and worked in the cafeteria, which kept him and his football buddies well fed. He received an athletic scholarship to play football at Jacksonville State University under the late, great Charlie Pell. In 1970, his team won the Orange Blossom Classic after an undefeated season.
Sammy won many awards while playing football at Jacksonville State and was voted the greatest defensive lineman in 100 years for Jacksonville State in 2003.
His love for football and his desire for Georgia Southern to have a football team inspired him to band together with a group of men called the “Dirty Dozen,” who brought football back to Georgia Southern and influenced the hiring of the first head football coach, Erk Russell. Sammy was a loyal GSU Eagles supporter and could always be found tailgating at home games.
Sammy and the “Dirty Dozen” will be inducted into the Georgia Southern Hall of Fame in September 2026.
After college, Sammy took over for his parents, running Johnson's Minit Mart and beer and wine store, where he was the owner/operator for 18 years. His brilliant business mind led him to create many other ventures with various partners, including but not limited to The Enzone, The Country Store, Blind Willie’s and the County Line. His most passionate venture involved transforming his welding hobby into a very successful business. He retired some time ago, but his welding creations can still be found across the city of Statesboro and the surrounding areas.
Sammy will be deeply missed by his wife, family and friends. His storytelling, pranks and laughter will be remembered for many years to come.
The family received visitors on Monday, June 15, 2026, from 4 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. followed by
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to The Georgia Southern Athletics Foundation (designated for football) at P.O. Box 8115, Statesboro, Georgia 30460.
Friends may sign the online register book at www.joineranderson.com.
Joiner-Anderson Funeral Home & Crematory in Statesboro is in charge of the arrangements.
Statesboro Herald, June 23, 2026
Sign the Legacy online guestbook at www.statesboroherald.com.