LeShon Eugene Johnson (born January 15, 1971) was a standout NFL running back and kick returner, earning unanimous All-American honors at Northern Illinois in 1993 after leading the nation with 1,976 rushing yards and finishing sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting. Drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the third round of the 1994 NFL draft, he later played for the Arizona Cardinals—where he rushed for a career-best 214 yards in a 1996 game—and the New York Giants, even making a remarkable comeback from lymphoma cancer in 1998 before finishing his career in the XFL. However, his post-football life took a dark turn as he ran a dog-fighting operation called "Mal Kant Kennels," pleading guilty to related charges in 2004 and 2005. In March 2025, he was charged in what authorities called the largest single-person dog-fighting case in federal history, leading to the seizure of 190 pit bulls. After a multi-day trial starting July 28, 2025, a federal jury in Oklahoma convicted him on six felony counts on August 5, 2025, for violating the Animal Welfare Act, leaving him facing up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine per count. The former "Cowboy" bull rider from Haskell, Oklahoma, thus saw his legacy shift from gridiron glory to a major animal cruelty conviction.