Chad Johnson (born January 9, 1978 in Miami, Florida) is an American football player, who plays as a wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals. He was drafted out of Oregon State by the Bengals with the fifth pick in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He was a teammate of current Bengals wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh while at Oregon State. He is also the cousin of Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson and Baltimore Ravens cornerback Samari Rolle.
Johnson is known for his flamboyant playing style and trash talking -- which has led to numerous fines being levied against him. He is also known for having a checklist of opposing cornerbacks and judging them on whether they were able to cover him in their matchup. He will only give an opponent a "Yes" checkmark if they play him in one-on-one man coverage, but they must only beat him on a single play. He is never hesitant to show this list to reporters to intimidate the defense, though he has admitted it is more of a self-motivation tool. No opposing players or coaches have publically taken offense to the list as of yet.
He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2004 and 2005, and has amassed over 1,100 receiving yards in 3 of his first 4 seasons.
The Pepto Bismol Incident
In 2003, Johnson guaranteed a win over the previously unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs -- a promise which he helped realize. However, one antic which backfired was the infamous Pepto Bismol incident. Before the Bengals' October 17, 2004 meeting against their in-state rivals, the Cleveland Browns, Johnson sent the Browns' starting defensive backs: cornerbacks Daylon McCutcheon and Anthony Henry and safeties Robert Griffith and Earl Little each a bottle of the pink stuff, which is marketed by the Cincinnati-based Proctor and Gamble Company. Johnson's intent was to say that he was going to make them sick. Johnson claimed that it was not meant personally. "It's a little something to add some flavor to the game... it's nothing personal and I know they didn't take it that way."
Rather than be angry, Daylon McCutcheon put the incident off as Chad Johnson simply being Chad Johnson. As he told the Associated Press, "I think for the most part, (Johnson) is not an in-your-face guy. He just likes to have fun. He enjoys playing football. He's a jokester."
The Browns held Johnson to just three receptions and no touchdowns, and won the game. However the Bengals won the next game between the two teams (A 58-48 victory in the second highest scoring game in NFL history), and Johnson had a great performance, recording 7 receptions for 117 yards and a touchdown.
What's commonly overlooked is that this incident coincided with a breast cancer awareness program that Pepto Bismol was running at the time. Johnson had hoped the national coverage would bring more attention to it, but it was rarely mentioned before or after his disappointing performance.
Chad's Riddle
Chad Johnson has a riddle for every team's defense that he goes up against. He always asks the same question, which is, "How do you stop 85?" (since his jersey number is 85 and for most of the time, he manages to out-do defenders and catch touchdown passes). To mostly everyone, that riddle has yet to be solved. Johnson also had a well-publicized list of cornerbacks who will face him during the season, ostensibly to determine whether or not they covered him well. However, the list has been de-emphasized in recent weeks due to another list, this one written by Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, which asks:
- • Did 85 do everything he could to lead his team to victory?
- • Did he study extra tape?
- • Zero mental errors in practice?
- • Make a teammate better?
- • See all "sights" and "hots" (blitzes)?
- • Did he run after the catch?
- • Did he finish in blocking?
Chad Johnson reportedly took Lewis' list to heart, as his performance has gotten better since.
Gold Teeth
During games (and some offseason competitions, such as the NFL Skills Challenge), Chad Johnson puts gold caps over some of his teeth (AKA "Gold Fronts"). As reported in USA Today Johnson said about the "gold fronts" that he wears during gameplay "I've always just put 'em in when it's time to play. Like when Superman puts on his cape, it means it's time for business."
Geico Quote
Before a game against the Green Bay Packers, Johnson spoke about his upcoming matchup with Packers defensive back Al Harris. Johnson joked, "Well, the bad news for him is is that he has to cover me this Sunday. The good news is is that he can save up to 10% by switching to Geico." This is a misquote of Geico's slogan, which really says "Save up to 15% on your car insurance by switching to Geico." No one, including Harris, took exception to the comment and accepted it as a joke. however he later added to the contoversy.
Irish Jig
In a September 25, 2005 game versus the Chicago Bears, Chad Johnson danced a jig after a touchdown catch. Supposedly, the jig was a response to Brian Urlacher having fathered the illegitimate child of the woman who sued Riverdance and Lord of the Dance performer Michael Flatley for $35 Million. He has since asked local media from Cincinnati and opposing cities for suggestions for his touchdown dances in the following games.
The Proposal
In the November 20, 2005 game versus the Indianapolis Colts, Chad Johnson celebrated his touchdown catch from Carson Palmer by seemingly proposing to a Cincinnati Bengals cheerleader on the sideline. This is just one of many truly unique touchdown celebrations that Chad Johnson has preformed over the years.
Putting
In the November 27, 2005 game versus the Baltimore Ravens, Johnson celebrated his 66 yard touchdown catch by putting the football using the red endzone marker as a putter. Following his putt of the ball he proceeded to make a Tiger Woods-like fist pump.