Woody Johnson was once nearly paralyzed for life after drunkenly falling off bridge

New York Jets owner and the heir to the Johnson & Johnson fortune, Woody Johnson, once was nearly paralyzed for life after a drunken fall during his wilder college days, according to a new book.

Per the New York Post, a new book due out next month called “Crazy Rich: Power, Scandal and Tragedy Inside the Johnson & Johnson Dynasty,” discusses the story of the Johnson family, including their scandals and how they amassed their wealth.

While in college at the University of Arizona, Johnson apparently was a party guy. His college girlfriend recalled a story for the book about a disastrous 1968 night when they were driving to a party in Phoenix.

“Oh, my God, who knows what we had, but yes, we were drinking alcohol,” Johnson’s then-girlfriend Diane Vonderahem recalls in the book, per the Post. “We pulled off one of the off-ramps because we all had to go to the bathroom, and it was pitch-black outside.”

According to the former girlfriend, Johnson stepped back and fell off an 18-foot drop. He ended up breaking his back and was virtually paralyzed, according to what Vonderahem told the book. Johnson apparently was told he would never walk again. He underwent surgery and was intensive care for a few months but, with intense rehab, he was able to make a full recovery.

The old man may look straight-laced when you see him on Sundays, but apparently Johnson was just as wild as you or I were in college. Thankfully he was able to make a full recovery after such a scary incident.

Thanks to LBS reader David for the tip