CINCINNATI (WKRC) – Former Cincinnati Bengals running back Rudi Johnson, who took over the position from Corey Dillon after the 2003 season, has died unexpectedly at the age of 43.
The cause of death is currently unknown, but his family has disclosed that he was struggling with mental health issues.
Marvin Lewis, former Bengals head coach, expressed his shock at the news.
“All his teammates just loved ‘Rudi J.’ And they were so happy for him when he got his opportunity and made very, very good on it,” said Lewis.
He recalled encountering Johnson last year while Johnson was working as an assistant coach for the Raiders.
“Rudi had been working for the NFL, doing the uniform check on the field. And so, he came over, gave me a big hug. It was so great to see him. And he was, as always, I knew, the happy go lucky Rudi Johnson,” Lewis said.
Lewis noted that some former players had spoken with Johnson just a week or 10 days ago and did not anticipate his sudden passing.
“I know a few of the players had said they had spoke with him just a week or 10 days ago, as former teammates. And they didn’t anticipate any of this,” said Lewis.
Former Bengals kicker Shayne Graham also shared his disbelief.
“First thing you do is, I called one of my other friends that was a teammate, and we were all still friends with Rudi to this day. And all of us are like, bro, like, bro, like we don’t know what to say,” Graham said.
He remembered Johnson’s big smile as the first thing people noticed about him.
“You hate to ever see things, see someone’s life just gone. And all you can think about are these fun memories we had. These, when we win games, we win games, we have fun. When we go through downs, we go through those together,” Graham said.
Johnson was selected in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Bengals. He broke out in his third year, rushing for 957 yards and nine touchdowns as a 24-year-old. Over the next three seasons, Johnson amassed over 4,000 yards and 36 touchdowns.
In 81 games over seven seasons Johnson had 5742 rushing yards and 48 TD. He had one receiving score. Johnson made one Pro Bowl in 2004.
His NFL career concluded after a stint with the Detroit Lions in 2008.
Johnson was a standout at Auburn University, where he earned SEC Player of the Year honors.
Following his transition to the NFL, he established a foundation aimed at supporting children and families through community programs.