Ex-NFL Star Rudi Johnson Dead At 45

38 comments
  1. I will never ever forget the the whole stadium chanting “RUUUUUDIIII” after every touch. Man is a Bengals legend.

    RIP, man. Way too soon.

  2. Damn, RIP. He was the Bengals RB when I was a kid. I remember wearing his jersey everywhere, well after he wasn’t with the Bengals anymore.

  3. God that’s horrible, wouldn’t be surprising if he had issues with CTE (as the article suggests), he was such a hard runner.

    3 consecutive 1300+ yard seasons where he started 14+ games. The 2003 season he only started 5 games and accrued 957 yards and 9 TDs!

    Edit: Also lead the SEC in yards and attempts for Auburn in 2000

  4. I’m sorry to hear this. Knowing of his affliction with CTE is a reminder of why the rules against head shots exist. RIP Rudi.

  5. This man was a bright star on the team and was one of the reasons the franchise started to turn around. It’s an unfortunate loss. Mental health and CTE is terrible and sometimes you have to think if all of this is really worth it.

  6. Definitely not a headline I thought I’d be logging in to today. Rest in peace Rudi, the Big Johnsons crew lost a good one.

  7. > Cops tell TMZ Sports … Rudi Johnson died by suicide in Florida just after midnight on Tuesday.

    This is terrible. RIP.

  8. I became a Bengals fan when the Bengals beat the undefeated Chiefs in 2003. Rudy was a huge part of that game.

    RIP

  9. Ah man. Being UK based it was a nightmare to get Bengals jerseys, a friend brought me my first one home when he was visiting Florida. It was a Rudi Johnson jersey, still got in hanging in my wardrobe and wear it on lazy days in the house.

    RIP legend.

  10. Damn. One of my favorite Bengals of the 2000s. One of the more underrated aspects of our success during that period.

  11. So sad, Rudi was special to me because he was the stud RB when I first started liking football as a kid. I remember being so excited that the bengals wouldn’t get blacked out on TV because some local corporation would buy the remaining tickets, it meant I got to watch guys like Rudi, Chad, TJ, and others. RIP Rudi, thank you for the memories, you are one of the reasons I’m a fan today

  12. Man this one hurts. My wife just wore his jersey I dug up out of storage this Sunday. One of my all time favorites

  13. dammmmn ..Rudi, Chad Johnson and Carson Palmer were the reasons for me being a Bengals fan as a kid

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