So I’ve noticed folks online going back and forth about Woody Johnson, the Jets owner, being Jewish or not. Honestly, it just popped into my head yesterday while scrolling through some old sports forums. The buzz about Woody being this or that… figured hey, why not actually look into this myself? Needed to cut through the chatter.
Starting The Deep Dive
First thing I did? Went straight to Google. Simple searches like “Woody Johnson Jewish,” “Jets owner religion.” Got bombarded with tweets, forum posts, you know the usual mix. Lots of people stating it like fact, either way. Okay, cool story, bros. But where’s the actual proof?
Pushed further. Dug into news articles and profiles published on big sites around his time as Ambassador. Some real dry stuff about foreign policy, blah blah. Kept my eyes peeled for any mention of his personal religious background. Nada. Dead end there. Found an old reference in a New York Times article mentioning he’s from the family that started Johnson & Johnson. Huge company, right? But again, silence on the Jewish connection.
Hitting The Official Stuff
Thought maybe his official NFL bio would have clues. Jumped over to the Jets team site, searched their leadership page. Woody’s listed as Chairman. Bio talks about football stuff, philanthropy, his time as Ambassador. Religion? Not a single mention. Zero.
Checked some reputable Jewish community sites next. Looked for lists of prominent Jewish owners in sports, or anything mentioning Woody Johnson specifically. Total blank. His name wasn’t popping up anywhere there. Meanwhile, others like Mark Cuban, they were listed clear as day.
- Official Biographies & Profiles = No mention of religion
- Reputable Jewish Community Sources = No listing for him
- Historical Articles & Interviews = Nothing directly addressing it
Where The Confusion Might Come From
Got me thinking… where do people get this idea? Maybe because his last name is Johnson? But that makes no sense. Maybe mixing him up with other folks?
Important clarification: The Johnson family behind Johnson & Johnson, Woody’s family? They’re generally known as Presbyterians. Found references to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, founded by his grandad, talking about their Christian background and values.
Wrapping My Head Around It
After piecing it all together, the conclusion seemed pretty straightforward to me. There’s absolutely no evidence out there suggesting Woody Johnson is Jewish. None. Zilch. All credible sources shy away from mentioning his religion – likely ’cause it’s just not a relevant factor. And the reliable sources discussing religion? They list others, not him.
He’s never publicly discussed it himself, as far as I could find in my digging today. The name ‘Johnson’ isn’t an indicator. His family history points elsewhere. So yeah. Just one of those things people hear and repeat without checking.
Funny how rumors get started and stick around online, huh? Took me diving through all those layers just to confirm what probably seemed obvious to some. But hey, now I know!