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, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
player who was a
wide receiver
A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...
for 11 seasons in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL). He played
college football
College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
for the
Santa Monica Corsairs and the
Oregon State Beavers
The Oregon State Beavers are the sport, athletic teams that represent Oregon State University, located in Corvallis, Oregon. The Beavers compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I (NCAA Division I ...
, and played 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 of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...
and the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
during his tenure playing in the NFL. He was selected by the Bengals in the second round of the
2001 NFL draft
The 2001 NFL draft was the 66th draft annual 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 Th ...
, and played for them 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. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
during preseason but was released following his arrest for
domestic violence
Domestic violence is violence that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes r ...
. 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 disbanded twice and been re-established thrice. The Alouettes compe ...
of the
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and f ...
(CFL) from 2014 to 2015, and played one game in 2017 for the Mexican team
Fundidores de Monterrey of the
Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional
The Professional American Football League ( or LFA), is a semi-professional American football league in Mexico, founded in 2016. Starting with four teams, the LFA has since expanded to eleven members as of 2022. The regular season runs in the sp ...
(LFA). 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 is an American List of business news channels, business news channel owned by the NBCUniversal News Group, a unit of Comcast's NBCUniversal. The network broadcasts live business news and analysis programming during the morning, Day ...
listed Johnson as number one on its list of "most influential athletes in social media". Johnson was a six-time
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players.
The format has changed ...
er, was named to three
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 t ...
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 is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
. 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 Da ...
. 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 and the westernmost four-year public HBCU in the United States. The main campus in Lan ...
. 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. The coll ...
, a
community college
A community college is a type of undergraduate higher education institution, generally leading to an associate degree, certificate, or diploma. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an open enr ...
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.
Oregon State
In 2000, Johnson transferred to
Oregon State University
Oregon State University (OSU) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate degree programs and a variety of graduate and doctor ...
, 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 (AAF) league. He was also the head coach at the University of ...
to play for the
OSU team. Alongside future Bengals teammate
T. J. Houshmandzadeh, he led his team to an 11–1 season and a 41–9 victory over
Notre Dame in the
Fiesta Bowl that year. Johnson also broke a school record for the longest touchdown reception with a 97-yard reception in a game against
Stanford
Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth governor of and th ...
. 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 of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...
chose Johnson in the second round of the
2001 NFL draft
The 2001 NFL draft was the 66th draft annual 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 Th ...
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. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
.
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, 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 Roland Lewis Jr. (born September 23, 1958) is an American professional American football, football coach. He recently served as the assistant head coach for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). Lewis was previously ...
, the Bengals'
head coach
A head coach, senior coach, or manager is a professional responsible for training and developing athletes within a sports team. This role often has a higher public profile and salary than other coaching positions. In some sports, such as associat ...
, 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. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...
, whom the Bengals would play in four days. Johnson was not pleased with the new list, as he had developed a
superstitious faith in the older list. He had a stellar performance during the game, prompting the return of the original list.
In 2007,
Degree and
Yahoo!
Yahoo (, styled yahoo''!'' in its logo) is an American web portal that provides the search engine Yahoo Search and related services including My Yahoo, Yahoo Mail, Yahoo News, Yahoo Finance, Yahoo Sports, y!entertainment, yahoo!life, and its a ...
created an online version of his checklist. The checklist allowed fans to vote for which NFL
quarterback
The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
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 caught two touchdown passes, while amassing 483 yards. However, after shaving his
Mohawk 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 in the National Football League (NFL). The Chargers played in San Diego, California from 1961 until 2016, before relocating back to the Greater Los Angeles area, where the franch ...
. 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 National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
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 of the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
, 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 and nicknamed the 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 ...
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 (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players.
The format has changed ...
. 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 the opposite side of the field ...
celebrations after catching
touchdown
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...
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 name originates from Fox Broadcasting Company in the United States, which in turn derives its name from Fox Fi ...
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
''Monday Night Football'' (often abbreviated as ''MNF'') is the branding used for broadcasts of National Football League (NFL) games that air on Monday nights. It originally ran on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from 1970 NFL season, 1970 t ...
'' against the
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...
, Johnson scored the game's first touchdown on a 39-yard pass from
Carson Palmer. 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 football (gridiron), professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of profes ...
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. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
, 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 an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) and spent his entire career with the Cincinnati Bengals (1973–1984). He played colleg ...
. 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 of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...
, 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 of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
, 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–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...
, 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 and
Coy Wire. 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 (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 or ...
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 of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...
, 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 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 and nicknamed the 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 ...
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. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
, 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 NFL season, 2007 season. It was played at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii on February 10, 2008. The game was televised in the United States by NFL on Fox, Fox and b ...
team, which instead selected his teammate
T. J. Houshmandzadeh. 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 Tit ...
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 (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players.
The format has changed ...
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 & 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 to 2017. The show aired on ESPN Radio, and was simulcast on televisio ...
'' 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 Roland Lewis Jr. (born September 23, 1958) is an American professional American football, football coach. He recently served as the assistant head coach for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). Lewis was previously ...
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 reported that Johnson felt betrayed by Lewis and was privately threatening to sit out the 2008 season, though his agent
Drew Rosenhaus denied it. When asked about trade rumors, Johnson said "Call me, Dan," referring to Redskins' owner
Daniel Snyder, 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 of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...
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 of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
trade for Johnson involving a first round
2008
2008 was designated as:
*International Year of Languages
*International Year of Planet Earth
*International Year of the Potato
*International Year of Sanitation
The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
selection and a
2009
2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
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 NTP and is part of NFL Media, which also includes NFL.com, NFL Films, NFL Mobile, NFL Now and N ...
's ''
NFL Total Access'', 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, with the cover line "NEXT.," was published on March 11, 1998 (cover date March 23, 1998), and featured K ...
'' 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 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 of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
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 of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
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 of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
). 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 as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...
.
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 of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...
, 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 of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
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 of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
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, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
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. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
, Johnson took over placekicking duties for the injured
Shayne Graham. 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.
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 (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players.
The format has changed ...
selection to replace Patriots receiver
Wes Welker
Wesley Carter Welker (born May 1, 1981) is an American professional football coach and former wide receiver who is a personnel analyst for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played in the NFL for 12 seasons, mo ...
, who was injured in the final week of the regular season. It was Johnson's sixth Pro Bowl selection, tying
Lemar Parrish 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
A patriot is a person with the quality of patriotism.
Patriot(s) or The Patriot(s) may also refer to:
Political and military groups United States
* Patriot (American Revolution), those who supported the cause of independence in the American R ...
. 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. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
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. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...
after reportedly attending his father's funeral. Johnson played in his first
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...
, 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 of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
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, a Miami native, signed with the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
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 question ...
the previous night. The meeting in which head coach
Joe Philbin notified Johnson of his release from the Dolphins was shown in the episode of
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
'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 disbanded twice and been re-established thrice. The Alouettes compe ...
of the
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and f ...
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 Winni ...
. 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. On April 2, 2017, he caught three passes, including a 41-yard touchdown reception, to help Monterrey defeat the
Dinos de Saltillo, 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. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
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 offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Georgia State University, a position he has held since 2024. An offensive assistant at both the collegiate and professio ...
, 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).
Each NFL season, the program airs from Week 1 of the regular season until the week after the Super Bowl. The show principally fe ...
'', a role he has held since the show moved to
The CW
The CW Network, LLC (commonly referred to as The CW or simply CW) is an American commercial broadcast television network which is controlled by Nexstar Media Group through a 75% ownership interest. The network's name is derived from the firs ...
in 2023. He also co-hosts the podcast ''
Nightcap'' alongside
Shannon Sharpe. In December 2024, he served as "ratings adjuster" for the EA Sports
Madden broadcast of an NFL game.
Career statistics
NFL career
Playoff statistics
The following table summarizes Chad Johnson's career playoff statistics in the NFL:
CFL career
Career awards and highlights
*
AFC champion (
2011
The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
)
* 6×
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players.
The format has changed ...
selection (
2003
2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater.
In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War.
Demographic ...
,
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 60 ...
,
2005
2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
,
2006
2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification.
Events
January
* January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute.
* January 12 – A stampede during t ...
,
2007
2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year.
Events
January
* January 1
**Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
,
2009
2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
)
* 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 t ...
selection (
2003
2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater.
In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War.
Demographic ...
,
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 60 ...
,
2005
2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
,
2006
2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification.
Events
January
* January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute.
* January 12 – A stampede during t ...
)
*
NFL receiving yards leader (2006)
*
10,000 receiving yards club
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 and released on November 18, 2010. It was featured on
iTunes
iTunes is a media player, media library, and mobile device management (MDM) utility developed by Apple. It is used to purchase, play, download and organize digital multimedia on personal computers running the macOS and Windows operating s ...
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
''Strictly Come Dancing (widely known as Dancing with the Stars)'' is an international television franchise based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing,'' itself a successor to the show ''Come Dancing'' (1950–1998) ...
'' for the
tenth season. He was paired with two-time champion
Cheryl Burke. 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
''Sports Soup'' was a twice-weekly series airing in the United States of America, U.S. on NBC Sports Network, Versus. The show first aired on October 14, 2008 in television, 2008. Hosted by Matt Iseman, it satirized recent events in sports and ...
'' titled "Child, Please".
During the 2010-2011 NFL season, he and teammate
Terrell Owens teamed up for a talk show, ''The T. Ocho Show'' on
Versus, talking football, basketball, and
pop culture
Popular culture (also called pop culture or mass culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as popular art pop_art.html" ;"title="f. pop art">f. pop artor mass art, some ...
. The show was cancelled in 2011 as a result of
Comcast
Comcast Corporation, formerly known as Comcast Holdings,Before the AT&T Broadband, AT&T merger in 2001, the parent company was Comcast Holdings Corporation. Comcast Holdings Corporation now refers to a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation, not th ...
's plans to re-launch Versus as an
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is an American programming division for NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, that is responsible for sports broadcasts on their broadcast network NBC, the Cable television, cable channels NBC owns, and on Peacock (streaming service) ...
-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 ordinary people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1990s ...
dating show called ''
Ochocinco: The Ultimate Catch'' on
VH1
VH1 (originally an initialism for Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network that launched on January 1, 1985, and is currently owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global's networks division based in New Y ...
. Aspiring singer-songwriter Rubi Pazmino won the show. Fellow NFL wide receivers
Terrell Owens and
Bernard Berrian 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 program produced by WWE. It currently airs Live television, live every Monday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on Netflix. The show fe ...
'' on September 13, 2010.
Soccer career
Due to the
2011 NFL Lockout, on March 16, 2011, Ochocinco announced he would have a four-day trial for
Sporting Kansas City
Sporting Kansas City is an American professional Association football, soccer club based in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. The ad ...
of
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional Association football, soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanc ...
. Ochocinco was a
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
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 league is officially affiliated to the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) and has automatic qualification for the U.S. Open Cup. ...
side
Boca Raton FC in October after a period of training. He made his debut for the club, playing as a
forward, 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. 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 name originates from Fox Broadcasting Company in the United States, which in turn derives its name from Fox Fi ...
during the
2022 FIFA World Cup
The 2022 FIFA World Cup was the 22nd FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for national football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Qatar from 20 November to 18 December 2022, after the country was awarded the hosting ri ...
.
In 2023, he took part in
The Soccer Tournament, playing for Nati SC.
Professional Bull Riders event
In May, Ochocinco announced via his
Twitter
Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
account that he would attempt to participate in a
PBR event in
Duluth, Georgia
Duluth ( ) is a city in Gwinnett County, 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 population of 31,873, and the United Stat ...
. 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''. 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 television 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, is a semi-improvised comedy show about a fantasy football l ...
''. He was also featured in the series ''
The Game'' as himself.
Other pursuits
Ochocinco was featured in a national
pistachio
The pistachio (, ; ''Pistacia vera'') is a small to medium-sized tree of the Anacardiaceae, cashew family, originating in Iran. The tree produces nut (fruit)#Culinary definition and uses, seeds that are widely consumed as food.
In 2022, world ...
commercial in winter 2010 and spring 2011.
He was featured in the R&B singer
Monica'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''. He is the main adversary in the game, and narrates the tutorials with
Clinton Portis and
Byron Leftwich
Byron Antron Leftwich (born January 14, 1980) is an American former professional football quarterback and coach who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons. He is currently an assistant coach at Colorado. He played college fo ...
.
Ochocinco appeared naked, outside of a strategically placed football, in
PETA
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA; ) is an American animal rights nonprofit organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president.
Founded in March 1980 by Newkirk and animal right ...
'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 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.
In October 2024, Johnson announced that he would be fighting former
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 of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
star
James Harrison in an exhibition mixed martial arts fight in February 2025.
Personal life
Ochocinco is known for his frugality and focus on financial responsibility. For the first two years of Johnson's tenure with the Bengals, he lived at the team facility, utilizing the variety of on-site amenities the team provided. When new coach Marvin Lewis took over in Johnson's third season, Lewis told him to find his own space. Johnson went viral on
Shannon Sharpe's podcast ''Club Shay Shay'' in 2023 for his decision to use
Spirit Airlines
Spirit Airlines, Inc. is an American ultra-low cost airline headquartered in Dania Beach, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. Spirit operates scheduled flights throughout the United States, the Caribbean, and Latin America. Spirit was the ...
over using a private jet, wearing jewelry from
Claire's
Claire's (formerly known as Claire's Boutiques, Claire's Boutique and Claire's Accessories) is an American retailer of accessories, jewelry, and toys primarily aimed towards tween and teen
girls, and young women. It was founded in 1961 and i ...
, and using McDonald's as a first date location.
Johnson has six children. His son, Chad Jr., is a wide receiver at
Arizona State University
Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public university, public research university in Tempe, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 as Territorial Normal School by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, the university is o ...
. His cousin,
Brandon Johnson
Brandon Johnson (born March 27, 1976) is an American politician and educator who is currently serving as the 57th mayor of Chicago since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Johnson previously served on the C ...
is a wide receiver for 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 of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
.
Johnson became engaged in January 2023. He and his fiancé have a daughter who 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, Toyota Motor Corporation. 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 amon ...
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 continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
, the other to
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...
), that Johnson never awarded.
Johnson has interests in sports outside of football. In June 2007, he footraced against a
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...
racehorse
Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, 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 bas ...
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 any of 660 foot (unit), feet, 220 yards, 40 rod (unit), rods, 10 chain (unit), chains, or a ...
(220 yards / 200 meters) for
charity
Charity may refer to:
Common meanings
* 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 sha ...
; Johnson, given a 110-yard (100 m) head start, beat the horse by twelve
lengths. He is a
Napoli
Naples ( ; ; ) is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its province-level municipality is the thir ...
supporter. Johnson constantly shows his support for several soccer teams on his official
Twitter
Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
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 (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Con ...
of the
NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
regarding the acquisition of
Chad Johnson, the goaltender of the same name.
Johnson is an avid player of the
FIFA video game series, 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, Johnson, whose
jersey number 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 countries in the Americas
**Spanish cuisine
**Spanish history
**Spanish culture
...
("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 of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...
, the back of his jersey read "Ocho Cinco" instead of "C. Johnson." Quarterback
Carson Palmer 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 footwear and clothing brand 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 which had bee ...
. 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'' star
Evelyn Lozada, 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
Twitter
Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
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 census, making it the largest town in Florida by population. Davie is a principal town of the Miami metropol ...
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. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
. 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. Despite Johnson having apologized, the judge said that Johnson was not taking things seriously enough. 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 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
Sportspeople from Davie, Florida
Players of American football from Miami
Santa Monica Corsairs football players
Soccer players from Miami
Miami Beach Senior High School alumni
Players of Canadian football from Miami
American expatriate sportspeople in Canada
United Premier Soccer League players
American sports podcasters