Rudi Johnson was a running back for the Cincinnati Bengals from 2001 to 2007. He played at Thomas Dale High School and broke the school’s rushing record. He also played for Butler Community College in El Dorado, Kansas.
He was a fourth-round pick in the 2001 NFL draft and sat behind Pro Bowl running back Corey Dillon his first two seasons. But when Dillon suffered injuries in 2003, Johnson took over.
He was a two-time Pro Bowler.
The former Cincinnati Bengals running back Rudi Johnson has died at the age of 45. He was a two-time Pro Bowler who played in the NFL for eight seasons. The former star rushed for 5,979 yards and scored 51 touchdowns in his career. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL draft out of Auburn University. Johnson later spent one season with the Detroit Lions before retiring from the NFL in 2008.
TMZ first reported the news about the former pro football player. The cause of death has not yet been revealed. The team issued a statement saying that his passing saddened them. He was one of the most productive running backs in franchise history. He rushed for 1,458 yards in 2005, which remains the Bengals’ single-season record to this day.
He was also a part of the Bengals’ 2004 AFC North championship team. During his time with the Bengals, he rushed for over 1,000 yards in four of his seven seasons with the team. He was known for his hard-charging style of play, which earned him the nickname “Ruu-di.”
A native of Petersburg, Virginia, Johnson began playing football at the age of six with the Ettrick Trojans in Chesterfield County’s Quarterback League. He was a standout at Thomas Dale High School, where he won the state’s Mr. Football award and set the school’s rushing record. After graduating from high school, he attended Butler Community College in El Dorado, Kansas.
He went on to have a stellar collegiate career, earning the SEC’s Offensive Player of the Year in his only season at Auburn University. He was drafted in the fourth round with the 100th overall pick in the 2001 NFL draft. After his brief stint with the Bengals, he signed with the Detroit Lions for one season in 2008 and retired from the NFL after the 2009 campaign.
The former running back was inducted into the Chesterfield County Sports Hall of Fame earlier this month, though he did not attend the ceremony. His mother, Janic, accepted the award on his behalf. The county’s executive director of sports, tourism, and recreation says the new class exemplifies the high level of athleticism that is rooted in the area.
He rushed for more than 1,000 yards in three of his four seasons with the Bengals
In the early years of the 21st century, Rudi Johnson’s hard-charging runs closed out Bengals victories at Paycor Stadium, to chants of “Ruu-di, Ruu-di.” Johnson, a low-slung running back from Ettrick, Virginia, led the franchise in rushing in each of his four seasons with Cincinnati. His 1,454 yards in 2004 and 1,508 yards in 2005 are the top two single-season totals for the Bengals in team history. Johnson also had 48 rushing touchdowns in his career with the Bengals, fourth on the club’s all-time list.
The Bengals selected Johnson in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL draft. He started in nine games as a rookie but saw his playing time decrease during his first two seasons. He was behind Pro Bowl runner Corey Dillon in the team’s depth chart.
After a breakout season in 2004, Johnson became the Bengals’ starting running back. He averaged over 1,000 yards in three of his next four seasons with the team and made his first and only Pro Bowl appearance in 2004. Johnson ran for a dozen touchdowns during those three seasons and was the leading rusher in the AFC North in both 2004 and 2005.
During his eight-year NFL career, Johnson totaled 5,979 rushing yards and 49 touchdowns. He played for the Bengals from 2001 to 2007 and the Detroit Lions for one season in 2008. Johnson also has a foundation in his name that mentors children and teens.
The exact circumstances of his death are unclear. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue declined to comment, citing HIPAA protections. But Johnson’s agent said he hopes his death will spur research into chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain condition that is linked to repeated blows to the head.
The former running back from Thomas Dale High School died at age 45. His body was found in his home in Florida. Police have not released the cause of death, but no foul play is suspected. His family has asked for privacy while they grieve for the loss of their son and brother. A memorial service will be held on Tuesday in Florida.
He rushed for a career-high 1,454 yards in 2004
The Bengals drafted Johnson with the 100th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft after he had an outstanding lone season at Auburn. He earned SEC Player of the Year honors in 2000 and ranked tenth in Heisman Trophy voting.
In his first two seasons, Johnson largely sat on the bench behind Pro Bowl running back Corey Dillon. However, injuries to Dillon in 2003 prompted the team to give Johnson more work, and he rushed for a career-high 1,454 yards that year. He followed that up with three straight stellar seasons.
Johnson was low-slung and agile, and he could pound away at defenses for many rushing yards. His hard-charging runs closed out many Bengals victories in the first years of this century, and he was a fan favorite at Paycor Stadium. Fans would chant “Ruu-di, Ruu-di” in support of his efforts.
He was also a key member of the 2004 AFC North championship team. That season, he rushed for a franchise-record 1,458 yards, which was enough to earn him his first and only Pro Bowl nod. The team lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the playoffs, but Johnson was an integral part of their success.
Johnson was a popular figure in Bengals camp during the 2008 season. He appeared at Paul Brown Stadium for the team’s Legends Weekend in 2016, and former teammates, including Chad Johnson, paid tribute to him on X-Men’s Tuesday broadcast. The exact circumstances of his death have not been released, but he was 45 years old and had a long, successful NFL career. His family hopes that his passing will spur more research into chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.
He was a member of the Cincinnati Bengals’ 2005 AFC North championship team..
The Cincinnati Bengals won the AFC North in 2005, and Johnson was a key member of that team. That season was the Bengals’ first division title since 1990 and the team’s first playoff appearance in 16 years. In the playoffs, the Bengals beat the Steelers in a wild-card game, but lost to Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos in the divisional round.
During the regular season, the Bengals had a six-game schedule against division rivals, with one home game against each of the Steelers, Browns, and Ravens. The Bengals won all six games, winning each by three points or less. The close finishes earned the team the nickname, “Cardiac Cats.” The Bengals clinched the AFC North in week 16, beating the Kansas City Chiefs, 17-10.
Johnson led the Bengals with 1,454 rushing yards, a franchise record that still stands. He also scored 12 touchdowns and made the Pro Bowl in 2004. After the season, he signed with the Detroit Lions and played for one season before retiring.
In the final game of the season, the Bengals defeated the Detroit Lions, 41-17. The win was the Bengals’ first AFC North championship in 14 years and the second of Marvin Lewis’ tenure as head coach. The Bengals had shed their laughingstock image, and the win was a massive boost for the franchise.
The team had a stellar defense, led by defensive backs Deltha O’Neal and Kimo Von Oelhoffen. O’Neal recorded 10 interceptions during the season, which is a Bengals’ franchise record. QB Carson Palmer was also outstanding, completing more than 300 passes and posting an NFL-leading 101.1 regular-season passer rating.
A native of Chesterfield County, Virginia, Johnson grew up playing football for the Ettrick Trojans of the Chesterfield Quarterback League and Thomas Dale High School Knights. He was a member of the Chesterfield Sports Hall of Fame class of 2018. He has been a longtime friend of former Thomas Dale head football coach Kevin TuTucker and is a favorite in the locker room. He was a joyful presence and loved being around his teammates.
