Chad Johnson (other)
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Chad Ochocinco Johnson (born Chad Javon Johnson; January 9, 1978), known from 2008 to 2012 as Chad Ochocinco, is an American former professional
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
player who was a wide receiver. He played
college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...
for
Santa Monica College Santa Monica College (SMC) is a Public university, public, community college in Santa Monica, California. Founded as a Junior college#United States, junior college in 1929, SMC enrolls over 30,000 students in more than 90 fields of study. Althoug ...
and
Oregon State University Oregon State University (OSU) is a public land-grant, research university in Corvallis, Oregon. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate-degree programs along with a variety of graduate and doctoral degrees. It has the 10th largest engineering co ...
, and played 11 seasons in the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL) for the
Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
and the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
. He was drafted by the Bengals in the second round of the
2001 NFL Draft The 2001 NFL Draft was the 66th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible professional football players. The draft, which is officially referred to as the "NFL Player Selection Meeting," was held at the ...
, and played for the Bengals for 10 seasons. Ochocinco, which means "eight five" in Spanish, was also his number. In 2011, Johnson was traded to the Patriots, for whom he played in
Super Bowl XLVI Super Bowl XLVI was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...
. In 2012, Johnson played for the
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
during preseason but was released following his arrest for
domestic violence Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner ...
. He played for the
Montreal Alouettes The Montreal Alouettes (Canadian French, French: Les Alouettes de Montréal) are a professional Canadian football team based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1946, the team has folded and been revived twice. The Alouettes compete in the Canadian F ...
of the
Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
(CFL) from 2014 to 2015, and played one game in 2017 for the Mexican team Monterrey Fundidores of the
Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional The Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional (Professional American Football League), commonly known simply as LFA, is a professional american football spring league in Mexico, founded in 2016. Starting with four teams, the LFA has since expanded t ...
. Johnson emerged as one of the NFL's most productive wide receivers of the 2000s and owns nearly every Bengals receiving record. In April 2011,
CNBC CNBC (formerly Consumer News and Business Channel) is an American basic cable business news channel. It provides business news programming on weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Eastern Time, while broadcasting talk sho ...
listed Johnson as number one on its list of "Most Influential Athletes In Social Media". Johnson was a six-time
NFL Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...
er, was named to four
All-Pro All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list th ...
teams and was voted as the number one wide receiver on the Bengals 40th Anniversary team.


Early life

Johnson was born in
Miami, Florida Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
. He graduated from
Miami Beach Senior High School Miami Beach Senior High School (Beach High, MBSH) is a secondary school located at 2231 Prairie Avenue Miami Beach, Florida, across from the Miami Beach Convention Center and Botanical Garden. It is located at the corner of Prairie Avenue and ...
. Johnson briefly attended
Langston University Langston University (LU) is a public land-grant historically black university in Langston, Oklahoma. It is the only historically black college in the state. Though located in a rural setting east of Guthrie, Langston also serves an urban missio ...
. He did not play football at the school.


College career


Santa Monica College

In 1997, Johnson transferred to
Santa Monica College Santa Monica College (SMC) is a Public university, public, community college in Santa Monica, California. Founded as a Junior college#United States, junior college in 1929, SMC enrolls over 30,000 students in more than 90 fields of study. Althoug ...
, a
community college A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an "open enrollment" for students who have graduated from high school (also known as senior sec ...
in
Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...
. While at Santa Monica College, he played with future NFL wide receiver
Steve Smith Stephen, Steve, Stevie, or Steven Smith may refer to: Academics * Steve Smith (political scientist) (born 1952), British international relations theorist and senior university manager * Stephen Smith (journalist) (born 1956), American journalist, ...
.


Oregon State

In 2000, Johnson transferred to
Oregon State University Oregon State University (OSU) is a public land-grant, research university in Corvallis, Oregon. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate-degree programs along with a variety of graduate and doctoral degrees. It has the 10th largest engineering co ...
, after being aggressively recruited by coach
Dennis Erickson Dennis Brian Erickson (born March 24, 1947) is an American football coach who most recently served as the head coach for the Salt Lake Stallions of the Alliance of American Football league. He was also the head coach at the University of Idaho ( ...
to play for the OSU team. Alongside future Bengals teammate
T. J. Houshmandzadeh Touraj Houshmandzadeh Jr. ( ; born September 26, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the seventh ...
, he led his team to an 11–1 season and a 41–9 victory over Notre Dame in the
Fiesta Bowl The Fiesta Bowl is an American college football bowl game played annually in the Phoenix metropolitan area. From its beginning in 1971 until 2006, the game was hosted at the Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Since 2007, the game has been playe ...
that year. Johnson also broke a school record for the longest touchdown reception with a 97-yard reception in a game against
Stanford Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is considere ...
. In his one season at the school, he played in 12 games and recorded 37 receptions for 886 yards and 8 touchdowns.


Professional career


Cincinnati Bengals

The
Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
chose Johnson in the second round of the
2001 NFL Draft The 2001 NFL Draft was the 66th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible professional football players. The draft, which is officially referred to as the "NFL Player Selection Meeting," was held at the ...
with the 36th overall pick.


2001–2004 seasons

In Johnson's rookie year, he saw moderate playing time, catching 28 passes for 329 yards and one touchdown in the 2001 season. In the 2002 season, Johnson had 69 receptions for 1,166 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns. In 2003, he set a Bengals franchise record by recording 1,355 receiving yards. In 2004, he caught 95 passes for nine touchdowns and 1,274 yards, including 117 receiving yards in a 58–48 win against the
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
.


2005 season

Johnson surpassed his franchise record in 2005, recording 1,432 yards. He led the AFC in receiving yards for four consecutive seasons, and he made the Pro Bowl five straight times from 2003 to 2007.


= "The List"

= During the
2005 NFL season The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League. Regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006. The regular season also saw the first ever regular season game played outside the United ...
, Johnson announced that he would keep a checklist, titled ''who Covered 85 in '05'', that would evaluate the
defensive back In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...
s who successfully managed to cover him. On November 2, 2005,
Marvin Lewis Marvin Ronald Lewis (born September 23, 1958) is an American football coach who is the special advisor to the head coach at Arizona State. Previously, Lewis was the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals in the National Football League (NFL) for 1 ...
, the Bengals'
head coach A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches. In some sports, the head coach is instead called the "manager", as in assoc ...
, replaced Johnson's list with another one titled, ''Did 85 do everything he could to lead his team to victory 11-6-05''. The list, an obvious parody of the original, asked several questions regarding Johnson's performance both on and off the field. According to the Bengals' official website, the list was aimed to antagonize their divisional rival, the
Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
, whom the Bengals would play in four days. Johnson was not pleased with the new list, as he had developed a
superstitious A superstition is any belief or practice considered by non-practitioners to be irrational or supernatural, attributed to fate or magic, perceived supernatural influence, or fear of that which is unknown. It is commonly applied to beliefs and pr ...
faith in the older list. He had a stellar performance during the game, prompting the return of the original list. In 2007,
Degree Degree may refer to: As a unit of measurement * Degree (angle), a unit of angle measurement ** Degree of geographical latitude ** Degree of geographical longitude * Degree symbol (°), a notation used in science, engineering, and mathematics ...
and
Yahoo! Yahoo! (, styled yahoo''!'' in its logo) is an American web services provider. It is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California and operated by the namesake company Yahoo Inc., which is 90% owned by investment funds managed by Apollo Global Man ...
created an online version of his checklist. The checklist allowed fans to vote for which NFL
quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
Johnson would like to play catch with the most. Every vote helped him raise money for his charity project, ''"Feed the Children"''.


2006 season

On April 20, 2006, Johnson signed an extension to his contract through 2011. During the first half of the 2006 season, Johnson saw little activity. After being bogged down by an early injury, his productivity endured a sharp decline. During the first eight weeks of the 2006 season, Johnson only caught two touchdown passes, while only amassing 483 yards. However, after shaving his
Mohawk Mohawk may refer to: Related to Native Americans *Mohawk people, an indigenous people of North America (Canada and New York) *Mohawk language, the language spoken by the Mohawk people *Mohawk hairstyle, from a hairstyle once thought to have been t ...
and changing his mentality, he had a breakout game in a losing effort against the
San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...
. Johnson accumulated 260 receiving yards and scored two touchdowns, which broke the previous Bengals record for most receiving yards in a game. He went on to amass 190 receiving yards and three touchdowns in a 31–16 win over the
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
in the following week. This gave Johnson a then NFL record of 450 receiving yards in back-to-back games (to be surpassed by
Josh Gordon Joshua Caleb Gordon (born April 13, 1991) is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He previously played for the Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, and the Tennessee Titans. Nicknamed ...
of the
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
, who amassed 498 yards in consecutive games in 2013), breaking the previous record of 448 set by
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
receiver John Taylor in 1989. In the following week, he gained 123 yards receiving, breaking the three-game receiving record since the NFL–AFL merger in 1970 and coming within 40 yards of the all-time record. Johnson finished the 2006 season with 87 receptions for a league leading 1,369 yards and seven touchdowns. He was the first Bengal ever to lead the NFL in receiving yards. Johnson and Houshmandzadeh also became the first Bengals teammates to each amass over 1,000 receiving yards in the same season. In addition to being one of the most productive receivers in the NFL, Johnson was also one of the most popular in balloting for the
Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...
. In the fan voting for the 2006 game, he finished first in votes for wide receivers, and fourth overall with 987,650 total votes. Johnson earned nationwide attention for his flamboyant attitude, which was often seen during his infamous
end zone The end zone is the scoring area on the field, according to gridiron-based codes of football. It is the area between the end line and goal line bounded by the sidelines. There are two end zones, each being on an opposite side of the field. ...
celebrations Celebration or Celebrations may refer to: Film, television and theatre * ''Celebration'' (musical), by Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones, 1969 * ''Celebration'' (play), by Harold Pinter, 2000 * ''Celebration'' (TV series), a Canadian music TV serie ...
after catching
touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Ameri ...
passes. In a list released in August 2006 by
Fox Sports Fox Sports is the brand name for a number of sports channels, broadcast divisions, programming, and other media around the world. The ''Fox Sports'' name has since been used for other sports media assets. These assets are held mainly by the Fo ...
listing the top 10 showboats in professional sports, Johnson topped the list.


2007 season

In the first game of the season, on ''
Monday Night Football ''ESPN Monday Night Football'' (abbreviated as ''MNF'' and also known as ''ESPN Monday Night Football on ABC'' for simulcasts) is an American live television broadcast of weekly National Football League (NFL) games currently airing on ESPN, AB ...
'' against the
Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
, Johnson scored the game's first touchdown on a 39-yard pass from
Carson Palmer Carson Hilton Palmer (born December 27, 1979) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona Cardinals. He played college football at ...
. Following the touchdown, he grabbed a jacket that resembles the
Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coach ...
inductees' jacket that said, "Future H.O.F. 20??" Johnson finished the game with five receptions for 95 yards and a touchdown. In the next game, against the
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
, he racked up 209 yards on 11 catches for two touchdowns in the 51–45 loss. This gave Johnson a career total of 7,229 receiving yards, breaking the Bengals' franchise record previously held by
Isaac Curtis Isaac Fisher Curtis (born October 20, 1950) is a former professional American football wide receiver who played his entire National Football League career with the Cincinnati Bengals (1973–1984). Early life Isaac Curtis was a star running bac ...
. The very next game, against the
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
, he totaled nine receptions for 138 yards as the Bengals lost again. Against the
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
, in which the Bengals won 38–31, Johnson had three receptions for 102 yards and a rush for 15 yards. In the fourth quarter of the Bengals' week-nine loss to the
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
, Johnson was rolled off the field on a stretcher, with a reported head injury. He dove out for a pass, with under a minute left in the 33–21 loss, and then was sandwiched by
Donte Whitner Donte Demetrius Whitner Sr. (born July 24, 1985) is a former professional American football strong safety. He played college football at Ohio State, and was drafted by the Buffalo Bills eighth overall in the 2006 NFL Draft. Whitner has also pla ...
and
Coy Wire Coy Michael Wire (born November 7, 1978) is an American television anchor and correspondent, and former professional football player in the National Football League. Since 2015, he has worked for CNN as a sports anchor and correspondent. He curr ...
. Johnson was reported to be mobile at the hospital. He finished the game with three catches for 48 yards. A
CT scan A computed tomography scan (CT scan; formerly called computed axial tomography scan or CAT scan) is a medical imaging technique used to obtain detailed internal images of the body. The personnel that perform CT scans are called radiographers ...
performed to detect brain injury was negative, and Johnson did not miss any games from the injury. Over his next two games, Johnson did not score any touchdowns or gain more than 86 yards, but he had a breakout performance in a November 25 win over the
Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
, catching a career-high 12 passes for 103 yards and three touchdowns. This gave Johnson over 1,000 receiving yards for the sixth consecutive season, and moved him past
Carl Pickens Carl McNally Pickens (born March 23, 1970) is a former American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cincinnati Bengals and Tennessee Titans. Early life Pickens attended Murphy High School in Murphy, N ...
as the Bengals all-time leader in receptions. By week 15, Johnson and Houshmandzadeh both gained over 1,000 receiving yards for the second year in a row. However, a loss to the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
that week ensured the team would finish the year with their first losing season since 2002. In the Bengals' season finale, Johnson had four catches for 131 yards and two touchdowns in a win over the
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
, giving him 93 receptions for 1,440 yards and 8 touchdowns on the season. Johnson's 1,440 yards set a new Bengals' franchise record, breaking his own record of 1,432 in 2005. It was the third time that Johnson finished a season with a new Bengals record for receiving yards. His yardage was third most in the NFL, his receptions were 12th most, and his touchdowns were tied for 15th most in the league. Johnson was passed up for the
2008 Pro Bowl The 2008 Pro Bowl was the National Football League's all-star game for the 2007 season. It was played at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii on February 10, 2008. The game was televised in the United States by Fox and began shortly after 11:40am l ...
team, which instead selected his teammate
T. J. Houshmandzadeh Touraj Houshmandzadeh Jr. ( ; born September 26, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the seventh ...
. Due to injury, however, Patriots' receiver
Randy Moss Randy Gene Moss (born February 13, 1977) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Tennessee ...
was forced to withdraw from the Pro Bowl, and Johnson was selected as his replacement. The selection marked his fifth consecutive
Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...
selection. Johnson and Houshmandzadeh became the first pair of Bengals receivers to make the Pro Bowl in the same year.


2008 season

On January 13, 2008, Johnson was a guest on ESPN's ''
Mike & Mike ''Mike & Mike'' (formerly ''Mike and Mike in the Morning'') was an American sports-talk radio show that was hosted by Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic on ESPN networks from 2000–2017. The show aired on ESPN Radio, and was simulcast on televis ...
'' radio show. During the interview, he addressed how the media and team treated him during the 2007 season, saying, "I was labeled selfish and a cancer, and it hurt...Fingers were pointed at me this year. If the team and the organization wants to further itself (make the playoffs), I think you need to get rid of the problem...It hurt me. To do me that way and not to have my back. Things were said, and nobody came to my defense." However, head coach
Marvin Lewis Marvin Ronald Lewis (born September 23, 1958) is an American football coach who is the special advisor to the head coach at Arizona State. Previously, Lewis was the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals in the National Football League (NFL) for 1 ...
commented on the issue by saying that the Bengals would not be trading Johnson. "He is a Cincinnati Bengal for quite a while," Lewis said. On February 4, ESPN's
Chris Mortensen Chris Mortensen (born November 7, 1951) is an American journalist providing reports for ESPN's '' Sunday NFL Countdown'', ''Monday Night Countdown'', ''SportsCenter'', ESPN Radio, and ESPN.com. Early life Mortensen attended North Torrance Hi ...
reported that Johnson felt betrayed by Lewis and was privately threatening to sit out the 2008 season, though his agent
Drew Rosenhaus Drew Jordan Rosenhaus (born October 29, 1966) is an American sports agent who represents professional football players. He owns the Miami-based sports agency Rosenhaus Sports, and has negotiated over $7 billion of NFL contracts. Early life an ...
denied it. When asked about trade rumors, Johnson said "Call me, Dan," referring to Redskins' owner
Daniel Snyder Daniel Marc Snyder (born November 23, 1964) is an American businessman and owner of the Washington Commanders, an American football team belonging to the National Football League (NFL). He bought the team, then known as the Washington Redskins, ...
, On April 22, the
Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
declined a
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
trade for Johnson involving a first round
2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
selection and a
2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
selection. and on
NFL Network NFL Network (occasionally abbreviated on-air as NFLN) is an American sports-oriented pay television network owned by the National Football League (NFL) and is part of NFL Media, which also includes NFL.com, NFL Films, NFL Mobile, NFL Now and NFL ...
's ''
NFL Total Access ''NFL Total Access'' is a television news program on the NFL Network. The network treats it as the league's "show of record" and bills it as the only year-round show dedicated to the National Football League, despite the ESPN show '' NFL Live'' r ...
'', Johnson said he did not want a pay raise from the Bengals, but desired a "change of scenery". Lewis stated he had not spoken to Johnson since the last regular season game, and reiterated his lack of interest in a trade. After several weeks of silence, in April, Johnson again announced he wanted to be traded, and caused a rift with teammates by refusing to attend off-season workout programs and practices. Nine days before the opening of the Bengals' mandatory minicamp on June 12, Johnson told ''
ESPN The Magazine ''ESPN The Magazine'' was an American monthly sports magazine published by the ESPN sports network in Bristol, Connecticut. The first issue was published on March 11, 1998. Initially published every other week, it scaled back to 24 issues a year i ...
'' that "of course I (will be)" attending, confirmed by his agent. After ankle surgery on June 18, Johnson returned to full practice in August. He suffered a partially torn labrum in the first preseason game on August 17, but decided to play the entire season with the injury. On August 29, Johnson legally changed his last name to Ochocinco. The Bengals began the season 0–8, with
Carson Palmer Carson Hilton Palmer (born December 27, 1979) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona Cardinals. He played college football at ...
forced out for the season with an injury incurred early in the campaign and Johnson experiencing his worst statistical season of his career to date. Johnson totaled 11 receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown in the first four games of the season, unable to gain more than 37 yards receiving in any of the contests. Following a dismal performance (three receptions for 43 yards) against the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
in a loss, Johnson had consecutive games with 50-yard receiving totals (57 against the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
and 52 against 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 club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
). Johnson then had 44 yards on five receptions in a loss to the
Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
. However, the Bengals won their first game of the season, against the
Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
, in week 9 by a score of 21–19. In that game, Johnson had two touchdowns, which marked the first multi-touchdown game of the season for Johnson. Johnson finished the season with 53 catches for 540 yards and four touchdowns — his worst statistical season since his rookie campaign.


2009 season

Before the start of the 2009 season, the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
and
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
expressed interest in Johnson if he were to be placed on the market after he missed voluntary team offseason workouts. In July 2009, Johnson said that he would use
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
during games, but the NFL banned it. In the August 20 preseason game against the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
, Johnson took over placekicking duties for the injured
Shayne Graham Michael Shayne Graham (born December 9, 1977) is an American football coach and former placekicker. Graham played 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Virginia Tech. He made his professional debut in Ma ...
. He kicked off and made an extra point in the game, which ended up deciding the Bengals' 7–6 win. During the season, Johnson expressed remorse for the developments in the 2008 season and attempted to make it up to the fans in Cincinnati through numerous actions. Many of those involved public appearances (usually involving the publication of his autobiography) and also by inviting Bengals fans to dinner and movie showings through his Twitter account, gatherings for which he picked up the tab. Many of the events were featured on the Bengals' official website. Johnson went on to record his seventh career 1,000 yard season, catching 72 passes for 1,047 yards and nine touchdowns. He finished the season just 48 yards short of the 10,000 career receiving yards milestone and with 62 career touchdown catches, just one short of the franchise record held by
Carl Pickens Carl McNally Pickens (born March 23, 1970) is a former American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cincinnati Bengals and Tennessee Titans. Early life Pickens attended Murphy High School in Murphy, N ...
. On January 15, Johnson was announced as a
Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...
selection to replace Patriots receiver
Wes Welker Wesley Carter Welker (born May 1, 1981) is an American football coach and former wide receiver who is the wide receivers coach for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as an assistant coach for the San ...
, who was injured in the final week of the regular season. It was Johnson's sixth Pro Bowl selection, tying
Lemar Parrish Lemar R. Parrish (born December 13, 1947) is a former professional American football player who played defensive back in the National Football League for the Cincinnati Bengals (1970–1977), Washington Redskins (1978–1982), and Buffalo Bill ...
for the second highest total in franchise history.


2010 season

Johnson opened up the 2010 season with 12 receptions for 159 yards and a touchdown in the Bengals' opening day loss to the Patriots. In doing so, he tied the franchise record for touchdown catches (which he later surpassed) and became the sixth player in NFL history to amass 10,000 receiving yards with one team. The following week, Johnson became the 30th player in NFL history to surpass 700 career receptions, catching four passes for 44 yards in a 15–10 win.


New England Patriots

On July 28, 2011, the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
acquired Johnson in a trade with Cincinnati after he restructured a three-year contract for $6.35 million. The Patriots traded two draft picks, a fifth round pick in 2012 and a sixth round pick in 2013. Johnson had statistically the least productive season of his career, catching 15 passes for 276 yards and one touchdown, all career lows. He was inactive for the AFC Championship game against the
Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
after reportedly attending his father's funeral. Johnson played in his first
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
, catching one pass for 21 yards. His 21-yard reception was the longest pass completion for the Patriots in that Super Bowl. The Patriots lost to the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
21–17 in
Super Bowl XLVI Super Bowl XLVI was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...
. On June 7, 2012, Johnson was released by the Patriots.


Miami Dolphins

Johnson signed with the
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
on June 11, 2012. On July 24, Johnson legally changed his last name from Ochocinco back to Johnson. The Dolphins released Johnson on August 12 following his
arrest An arrest is the act of apprehending and taking a person into custody (legal protection or control), usually because the person has been suspected of or observed committing a crime. After being taken into custody, the person can be questi ...
the previous night. The meeting in which head coach
Joe Philbin Joseph Anthony Philbin (born July 2, 1961) is an American football coach who, until recently, served as the offensive line coach for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, a position he h ...
notified Johnson of his release from the Dolphins was shown in the episode of HBO's '' Hard Knocks'' that originally aired on August 14.


Montreal Alouettes

Johnson signed a two-year deal with the
Montreal Alouettes The Montreal Alouettes (Canadian French, French: Les Alouettes de Montréal) are a professional Canadian football team based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1946, the team has folded and been revived twice. The Alouettes compete in the Canadian F ...
of the
Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
on April 17, 2014. During the 2014 CFL season, Johnson appeared in only five regular season games, mostly due to nagging injuries. He missed two playoff games to address a personal family matter in Florida. In total, he accumulated seven receptions for 151 yards, and scored one touchdown. Johnson was suspended by the Alouettes after he failed to report for mandatory training camp in the spring of 2015. He remained suspended through the
2015 CFL season The 2015 CFL season was the 62nd season of modern-day Canadian football. Officially, it was the 58th Canadian Football League season. The Edmonton Eskimos won the 103rd Grey Cup on November 29, defeating the Ottawa Redblacks 26–20 in Winnipeg ...
. Following the season, Johnson was not offered a new contract by the Alouettes and became a free agent on February 9, 2016.


Fundidores de Monterrey

In March 2017, the Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional de México announced that Johnson would play one game for the
Fundidores de Monterrey Fundidores de Monterrey (English: ''Monterrey Smelters''), officially Fundidores, are an American football team based in Monterrey, Mexico. The Fundidores compete in the Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional (LFA), the top American football leagu ...
. On April 2, 2017, he caught three passes, including a 41-yard touchdown reception, to help Monterrey defeat the
Dinos de Saltillo Dinos de Saltillo (English: ''Saltillo Dinos'') are an American football team based in Saltillo, Mexico. The Dinos compete in the Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional, the top American football league in Mexico. The team plays its home games at t ...
, 14–6.


Post playing career

In March 2016, Johnson tweeted to the
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
head coach, who was also his former wide receivers coach with the Bengals,
Hue Jackson Hue Jackson (born October 22, 1965) is an American football coach who is the head football coach at Grambling State University. An offensive assistant at both the collegiate and professional levels, he held coordinator positions in the Nationa ...
, to ask if he would let Johnson work with the receivers during training camp. In July 2016, Jackson agreed to have Johnson work as a guest instructor for the Browns. Jackson admitted that Johnson wants to "try his hand" at coaching. He is currently a panelist on the weekly highlight show
Inside the NFL ''Inside the NFL'' is an American weekly television sports show that focuses on the National Football League (NFL). It originally aired on HBO from 1977 through 2008. Following Super Bowl XLII, HBO announced that it would be dropping the program ...
a role he has held since the show first moved to
The CW ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
in 2023


Career statistics


NFL career


CFL career


Career awards and highlights

* AFC Champion (
2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
) * 6×
Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...
selection (
2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
,
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
,
2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
,
2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
,
2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
,
2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
) * 4×
All-Pro All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list th ...
selection (
2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
,
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
,
2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
,
2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
) *
NFL receiving yards leader In American football, passing, along with running (also referred to as rushing), is one of the two main methods of advancing the ball down the field. Passes are typically attempted by the quarterback, but any offensive player can attempt a pas ...
(2006) *
10,000 Receiving Yards Club 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit (measurement), unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment ...


Bengals franchise records

* Career receptions (751) * Career receiving yards (10,783) * Career receiving touchdowns (66) * Career yards from scrimmage (10,958) * Career All-Purpose Yds (10,964) * Career games with 100+ receiving yards (31) * Career Games with 1+ touchdown (50) * Career 1000+ receiving yard seasons (7)


Projects outside the NFL


Smartphone apps

An iPhone game called ''Mad Chad'' was designed by both Johnson and
RockLive RockLive is an American online social network and games developer that was founded in 2009. In 2013, RockLive became Shots Studios, a digital studio and management company which also released the Shots App, a comedy social network for millennials ...
and released on November 18, 2010. It was featured on
iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
and was a popular downloaded app in 2010.


''Dancing with the Stars''

On March 1, 2010, it was announced that Johnson would be a contestant on ''
Dancing with the Stars ''Dancing with the Stars'' is the name of various international television series based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing'', which is distributed by BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the forma ...
'' for the tenth season. He was paired with two-time champion
Cheryl Burke Cheryl Burke (born May 3, 1984) is an American dancer, model, and television host. She is best known for being a professional dancer on ABC's '' Dancing with the Stars''. She was the first female professional to win the show and the first prof ...
. The season premiere was on Monday, March 22, 2010. He was eliminated from the show as one of the final four competitors on May 18, 2010, after receiving the lowest judges' score and number of votes. He was the 100th contestant to be eliminated in the show's history.


Versus

Johnson had his own segment on '' Sports Soup'' titled "Child, Please". During the 2010-2011 NFL season, he and teammate
Terrell Owens Terrell Eldorado Owens (; born December 7, 1973), nicknamed T.O., is an American football wide receiver for the Knights of Degen of Fan Controlled Football (FCF). He previously played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons. Regar ...
teamed up for a talk show, ''The T. Ocho Show'' on
Versus Versus (Latin, 'against') may refer to: Film and television * ''Versus'' (2000 film), a Japanese zombie film * ''Versus'' (2016 film), a Russian sports drama film * ''Versus'' (2019 film), a French thriller film * Versus (TV channel), form ...
, talking football, basketball, and
pop culture Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * Pop (Gas al ...
. The show was cancelled in 2011 as a result of
Comcast Comcast Corporation (formerly known as American Cable Systems and Comcast Holdings),Before the AT&T merger in 2001, the parent company was Comcast Holdings Corporation. Comcast Holdings Corporation now refers to a subsidiary of Comcast Corpora ...
's plans to re-launch Versus as an
NBC Sports NBC Sports is an American programming division of the broadcast network NBC, owned and operated by NBC Sports Group division of NBCUniversal and subsidiary of Comcast. The division is responsible for sports broadcasts on the network, and its d ...
-branded service, as its new staff did not feel that the show would fit with the network's new goals.


''The Ultimate Catch''

In 2010, Johnson was featured on his own
reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...
dating show called '' Ochocinco: The Ultimate Catch'' on
VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism of Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network based in New York City and owned by Paramount Global. It was created by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Commun ...
. Aspiring singer-songwriter Rubi Pazmino won the show. Fellow NFL wide receivers
Terrell Owens Terrell Eldorado Owens (; born December 7, 1973), nicknamed T.O., is an American football wide receiver for the Knights of Degen of Fan Controlled Football (FCF). He previously played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons. Regar ...
and
Bernard Berrian Bernard Berrian (born December 27, 1980) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Fresno State. Berrian also played for the Minnes ...
were occasionally featured on the show, advising Johnson throughout the process.


WWE

Ochocinco was featured as the guest host of ''
WWE Raw ''WWE Raw'', also known as ''Monday Night Raw'' or simply ''Raw'', is an American professional wrestling television show, television program produced by WWE that currently airs live every Monday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time Zone, ET on the USA Networ ...
'' on September 13, 2010.


Soccer career

Due to the
2011 NFL Lockout The 2011 National Football League Player lockout was a work stoppage imposed by the owners of the NFL's 32 teams that lasted from March 12, 2011, to July 25, 2011. When the owners and the NFL players, represented by the National Football League ...
, on March 16, 2011, Ochocinco announced he would have a four-day trial for
Sporting Kansas City Sporting Kansas City, often shortened to Sporting KC, is an American men's professional Association football, soccer club based in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The administrative offices are located in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri, and t ...
of
Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...
. Ochocinco was a
soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
player in his youth and has stated he is an avid fan of the sport. His trial began on March 23, 2011. On March 25, he was asked to play in a reserve game. On March 29, he was not offered a contract by the team but was offered the chance to train with the reserve side to stay in shape. In 2018, Johnson returned to soccer, signing for then-
National Premier Soccer League The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) is an American men's association football, soccer league. The NPSL is a semi-professional league, comprising some teams that have paid players and some that are entirely amateur. The league is officially ...
side
Boca Raton FC Boca Raton Football Club is an American soccer club that currently plays in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL). In 2015, which was their inaugural season, they were only defeated in one game and won the APSL championship and the APSL fall ...
in October after a period of training. He made his debut for the club, playing as a
forward Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward. Forward may also refer to: People * Forward (surname) Sports * Forward (association football) * Forward (basketball), including: ** Point forward ** Power forward (basketball) ** Sm ...
, in a 1–0 win over Himmarshee FC. He scored his first goal for the club on October 20, 2018, netting a penalty in a 2–0 win over FC Boca Predators. On March 12, 2019, Johnson re-signed with Boca Raton FC for the 2019 Spring UPSL season after the team joined the
United Premier Soccer League The United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) is an American soccer league that was founded in Santa Ana in Southern California, with teams in regionalized conferences throughout the United States, and recently Canada and Mexico. The league was found ...
. On May 24, 2019, Johnson scored both goals in a 2–1 regular season win over the Palm Beach Breakers. Boca Raton FC would go on to win the South Florida Championship of the UPSL. Johnson was an analyst for
Fox Sports Fox Sports is the brand name for a number of sports channels, broadcast divisions, programming, and other media around the world. The ''Fox Sports'' name has since been used for other sports media assets. These assets are held mainly by the Fo ...
during the
2022 FIFA World Cup The 2022 FIFA World Cup is an international association football, football tournament contested by the men's national teams of FIFA's member associations. The 22nd FIFA World Cup is taking place in Qatar from 20 November to 18 December 2022 ...
. In 2023, he took part in
The Soccer Tournament The Soccer Tournament (TST) is a seven-a-side association football tournament played in the United States, established by TBT Enterprises, creator of The Basketball Tournament (TBT). TST was announced on October 11, 2022 to feature 32 teams with ...
, playing for Nati SC.


Professional Bull Riders event

In May, Ochocinco announced via his
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
account that he would attempt to participate in a
PBR PBR may refer to: Science and technology * Passive bistatic radar * Partition boot record * Pebble bed reactor, a type of nuclear reactor * Peripheral benzodiazepine receptor, another name for translocator protein * Phosphorus bromide * Photobio ...
event in
Duluth, Georgia Duluth is a city in Gwinnett County, Georgia, Gwinnett County, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. Located north of Interstate 85, it is approximately northeast of Atlanta. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, Duluth had a ...
. He rode the bull Deja Blue, which weighs 1,500 pounds, and lasted 1.5 seconds during the intermission of May 14, 2011's Professional Bull Riders event.


Acting

In June 2011, Ochocinco filmed a cameo role as himself for the 2012 film ''
American Reunion ''American Reunion'' (also known as ''American Pie 4: Reunion'' or ''American Pie: Reunion'' in certain countries) is a 2012 American ensemble sex comedy film written and directed by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg. It is the fourth installme ...
''. Ochocinco also appeared as a former captain of the BMS Goats on the Season 3 premiere of the television show '' Blue Mountain State'' and as himself on the Season 2 premiere of the television show ''
The League ''The League'' is an American sitcom that aired on FX and later FXX from October 29, 2009, to December 9, 2015, for a total of seven seasons. The series, set in Chicago, Illinois, is a semi-improvised comedy show about a fantasy football league ...
''. He was also featured in the series '' The Game'' as himself.


Other pursuits

Ochocinco was featured in a national
pistachio The pistachio (, ''Pistacia vera''), a member of the cashew family, is a small tree originating from Central Asia and the Middle East. The tree produces seeds that are widely consumed as food. ''Pistacia vera'' is often confused with other sp ...
commercial in winter 2010 and spring 2011. He was featured in the R&B singer
Monica Monica may refer to: People *Monica (actress) (born 1987), Indian film actress *Monica (given name), a given name (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Monica (singer) (born 1980), American R&B singer, songwriter, producer, ...
's video " Everything to Me". Chad Ochocinco voiced himself and his likeness was featured on an episode of Squidbillies, titled "Lean Green Touchdown Makifying Machine" (Season 5, Episode 9) He appears on the cover of EA's 2006 video game ''
NFL Street 3 ''NFL Street 3'' is the third installment of the ''NFL Street'' series, released in November 2006 for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable consoles. This installment features more game modes and unlockable features than previous versions. ...
''. He is the main adversary in the game, and narrates the tutorials with
Clinton Portis Clinton Earl Portis (born September 1, 1981) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes. He was drafted b ...
and
Byron Leftwich Byron Antron Leftwich (born January 14, 1980) is an American football coach and former quarterback who is the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He previously played in the NFL for ten seaso ...
. Ochocinco appeared naked, outside of a strategically placed football, in
PETA Peta or PETA may refer to: Acronym * Pembela Tanah Air, a militia established by the occupying Japanese in Indonesia in 1943 * People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, an American animal rights organization * People Eating Tasty Animals, an ...
's "Ink Not Mink" ad campaign, which encourages people to choose tattoos over wearing animal fur. Johnson appeared with his mother Paula on the WeTV reality show "Marriage Bootcamp Reality Stars: Family Edition." The show, which premiered April 28, 2017, deals with unconventional therapy. On May 3, 2021, Johnson was added to the undercard for the
Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Logan Paul Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Logan Paul, billed as "Bragging Rights", was an exhibition boxing match between former five-division world champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. and YouTuber Logan Paul. It took place on June 6, 2021, at the Hard Rock Stadium ...
fight card in a fight against Brian Maxwell. The fight completed the four two-minute rounds for which it was scheduled. Since the fight was an exhibition fight and neither fighter was knocked out and no score card was kept, no winner was declared.


Personal life

Johnson has 9 children. His son, Chad Jr., is a wide receiver at
Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...
. Johnson became engaged in January 2023. He and his fiancé have a daughter that was born in January 2022. In May 2007, Johnson was sued for allegedly not giving away a
Lexus is the luxury vehicle division of the Japanese automaker Toyota. The Lexus brand is marketed in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide and is Japan's largest-selling make of premium cars. It has ranked among the 10 largest Japanese ...
that was supposed to be raffled off. The suit added two plaintiffs who claimed that they had won trips from Johnson (one to
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
, the other to
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
), that Johnson never awarded. Johnson has interests in sports outside of football. In June 2007, he footraced against a
Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...
racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...
over a
furlong A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one eighth of a mile, equivalent to 660 feet, 220 yards, 40 rods, 10 chains or approximately 201 metres. It is now mostly confined to use in hors ...
(220 yards / 200 meters) for
charity Charity may refer to: Giving * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sharing * Ch ...
; Johnson, given a 110-yard (100 m) head start, beat the horse by twelve
lengths Length is a measure of distance. In the International System of Quantities, length is a quantity with dimension distance. In most systems of measurement a base unit for length is chosen, from which all other units are derived. In the Intern ...
. He is a
Napoli Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
supporter. Johnson constantly shows his support for several soccer teams on his official
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
account. In March 2015, Johnson garnered attention as he was involved in a tweeting exchange with the
Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team was established in 1970, along w ...
of the
NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
regarding the acquisition of
Chad Johnson Chad Ochocinco Johnson (born Chad Javon Johnson; January 9, 1978), known from 2008 to 2012 as Chad Ochocinco, is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football for Santa Monica College and Oregon State University, and pl ...
, the goaltender of the same name. Johnson is an avid player of the
FIFA video game series ''FIFA'', also known as ''FIFA Football'' and to be rebranded as ''EA Sports FC'' from 2023, is a series of association football video games developed and released annually by Electronic Arts under the EA Sports label. As of 2011, the ''FIFA'' fr ...
, frequently referring to himself as "FIFA king". He also frequently accepts challenges from fans on Twitter and even occasionally, when traveling, will go over to people's houses and play them.


Name changes

On October 25, 2006, in honor of
Hispanic Heritage Month National Hispanic Heritage Month (Spanish: ''Mes nacional de la herencia hispana'') is annually celebrated from September 15 to October 15 in the United States for recognizing the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans to the history, cul ...
, Johnson, whose
jersey number In team sports, the number, often referred to as the uniform number, squad number, jersey number, shirt number, sweater number, or similar (with such naming differences varying by sport and region) is the number worn on a player's uniform, to ...
was "85", announced that he would prefer to be called "Ocho Cinco," which is "eight five" in
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...
("Eighty-five" would be "ochenta y cinco"). During warm-ups for the October 29, 2006, game against the
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
, the back of his jersey read "Ocho Cinco" instead of "C. Johnson." Quarterback
Carson Palmer Carson Hilton Palmer (born December 27, 1979) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona Cardinals. He played college football at ...
ripped the label off the jersey to reveal the usual "C. Johnson." According to ESPN, Johnson was fined $5,000 for the stunt despite the fact that he did not wear the "Ocho Cinco" name tag during the game. Johnson legally changed his name to Chad Javon Ochocinco on August 29, 2008. The Cincinnati Bengals decided to allow him to have it on the back of his jersey, though Ochocinco continued to wear his old "C. Johnson" jersey during the 2008 football season because of contractual obligations with
Reebok Reebok International Limited () is an American fitness footwear and clothing manufacturer that is a part of Authentic Brands Group. It was established in England in 1958 as a companion company to J.W. Foster and Sons, a sporting goods company ...
. He played with "OCHOCINCO" on the back of his jersey from the 2009 season to the 2011 season. He wanted it to read "OCHO CINCO" but the NFL would only allow his legal name as spelled on his name change paperwork. Ochocinco announced on his live USTREAM broadcast in 2009 that he would be legally changing his last name to "Hachi Go" in 2010. He also held up a customized Cincinnati Bengals jersey with the last name "Hachi Go" on the back. Just as the words Ocho Cinco translate to 8 and 5 in Spanish, the words Hachi Go () translate to 8 and 5 in Japanese. He did not go through with the name change. On January 25, 2011, Ochocinco told an ESPN reporter that he would be changing his last name back to Johnson, however on June 30, 2011, Ochocinco told an ESPN reporter that because of financial issues he would keep his name as Chad Ochocinco and not go back to Johnson. On July 23, 2012, after Ochocinco's move to the Miami Dolphins, he legally changed his name back to Chad Johnson at a Broward County courthouse because he "wanted to reconnect with his former self."


Marriage and arrest

On November 16, 2010, Ochocinco proposed to ''
Basketball Wives ''Basketball Wives'' is an American reality television series franchise on VH1. It chronicles the everyday lives of women romantically linked to men in the professional basketball industry. The original incarnation was filmed in Miami, Florida an ...
'' star
Evelyn Lozada Evelyn Alexandra Lozada (born December 10, 1975) is an American television personality, model, and spokesperson. Lozada is best known as one of the six main cast members in the VH1 reality series ''Basketball Wives'' throughout its run beginning ...
, whom he had been dating since earlier in the year. Johnson and Lozada married on July 4, 2012. The day before the wedding, a fan reached out to Johnson on
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for prayers after losing her husband the previous month. Johnson, in return, invited her on an all-expenses-paid trip to the wedding. On August 11, 2012, Johnson was arrested on a charge of domestic battery according to the
Davie, Florida Davie is a town in Broward County, Florida, United States, approximately north of Miami. The town's population was 110,320 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Davie is a principal town of the Miami metropolitan area, which was home to ...
police. Johnson allegedly headbutted Lozada following an argument. Johnson was released the following afternoon on $2,500 bond. Later that day, he was released by the
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
. Three days later, Lozada filed for divorce claiming that her marriage was "irretrievably broken." The divorce was finalized on September 19, 2012. On September 21, 2012, Johnson entered a plea of no contest to misdemeanor domestic battery, avoiding jail time in an agreement with prosecutors and Lozada. Johnson received a year of probation. A warrant was issued for Johnson's arrest for allegedly violating the terms of his probation on May 7, 2013. According to the Broward County Sheriff's Office, Johnson failed to meet with probation specialists on February 15 and March 15 and failed to show proof of enrollment and completion of a batterers intervention program. On May 20, Johnson turned himself in and was released later in the day after posting a $1,000 bond. On June 10, 2013, Johnson was sentenced to thirty days in jail for violating his probation. Although a plea deal that called for no jail time was reached, Judge Kathleen McHugh rejected it after Johnson playfully slapped his male attorney on the buttocks in court. The judge said that Johnson was not taking things seriously enough, even after he apologized. In addition to the jail sentence, his probation was extended for three months through December and he was required to perform 25 hours of community service and to undergo two counseling sessions per week. Johnson was released from jail after apologizing to the court on June 17.


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Chad 1978 births Living people American Conference Pro Bowl players American expatriate players of American football American expatriate sportspeople in Mexico American football wide receivers American players of Canadian football American men's soccer players Men's association football forwards Boca Raton FC players Canadian football wide receivers Cincinnati Bengals players Fundidores de Monterrey players Langston University alumni Miami Dolphins players Montreal Alouettes players National Premier Soccer League players New England Patriots players Oregon State Beavers football players Participants in American reality television series People from Davie, Florida Players of American football from Miami Santa Monica Corsairs football players Soccer players from Florida Miami Beach Senior High School alumni Players of Canadian football from Miami American expatriate sportspeople in Canada United Premier Soccer League players