Only one man can race a horse on foot, win, and talk trash in the process.
The artist formerly known as Chad ‘Ochocinco’ Johnson, once raced a horse for charity during the 2007 offseason.
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No. 85 for the Bengals sized up his foe before the raceCredit: YOUTUBE/@WCPO9
The ultimate trash-talker and All-Pro wide receiver was at the peak of his powers when he accomplished such an impressive feat.
“It’s going to be fun,” Johnson told the Associated Press in 2007. “Some of the things I’m going to be doing this year are crazy, and racing a horse is one of them.”
Johnson would race a 4-year-old colt named Restore the Roar at Cincinnati’s River Downs. Restore the Roar had to go an eighth of a mile, while the Cincinnati Bengals star had to race half that distance, receiving a 100-meter head start.
“I’m ready,” Johnson said. “He has two extra legs, so I will get a two-extra-leg lead. It’s all for fun. The important thing is raising money to help those in need.”
The money from the event went to Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis’ charity foundation.
“The bad thing is, I got six gears, he starts slow,” Johnson said moments before the race. “By the time he gets going, I should be crossing.”
In front of a crowd of around 8,000 people, Johnson took down Restore the Roar in a race that wasn’t particularly close.
“When I crossed and I looked back, he was way back,” Johnson said after the race. “So I’m officially the fastest in the world.”
Restore the Roar’s jockey, Patricia Cooksey, gave Johnson all the credit in the world.
“Okay, maybe he beat us, but the fact that he beat us by a lot, he beat us very easily,” Cooksey admitted. “There was just no catching him today.
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Johnson raced a horse for charityCredit: YOUTUBE/@WCPO9
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Johnson dusted Restore the RoarCredit: YOUTUBE/@WCPO9
“He’s a fast man. That was phenomenal. When I looked over at him, all I could see were his legs; they looked like a windmill.
“He was a blur. I was beat bad.”
While Johnson was confident in his ability, one man in particular had doubted the NFL star. That man being Johnson’s quarterback at the time, franchise cornerstone Carson Palmer.
“I don’t think he really understands how fast horses are,” Palmer told the Associated Press.
“I’ve been to the Kentucky Derby and been to different tracks and seen horses run. I don’t think he knows what he’s getting himself into. Just because he’s my teammate, I’ve got to back him up. But I’ll be secretly putting money on that horse.”
In true Ochocinco fashion he continued to talk after his victory, calling out some of the greatest athletes ever.
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“Floyd Mayweather, you’re next,” Johnson told Dustin Dow of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “I want to fight you. I’d like to take Kobe and LeBron one-on-one. Jeff Gordon, we can take a couple laps.”
When has the man ever been fearless? The answer is never.
Even today, he can be found on his podcast Nightcap, with Shannon Sharpe, routinely challenging and calling out current NFL players to go one-on-one with.
The former wide receiver great may be 46 years old now, but he still has the heart and energy of a 24-year-old.
One that probably thinks he could still beat a horse today.
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