Chad Johnson

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My hero is Chad Johnson. My hero has been elected to Pro Bowls in each of the years 2003-2006. He has also led the AFC in receiving yards for each of the last three seasons. He was featured on the cover of the October 24th, 2006 Sports Illustrated. Chad is one of the most productive and popular receivers in the NFL today. On November 12th, 2006 Chad Johnson set a Cincinnati Bengal’s franchise record for receiving yards in a single game. Chad only finished behind Peyton Manning, Shaun Alexander and LaDainian Tomlinson in the 2005 Pro Bowl fan voting. My hero was born in 1978 and is currently 28 years old.

Chad Johnson has overcome many problems in his life to become one of the best wide receivers in the NFL today. He has overcome the problems of putting football first, schoolwork second and his mom leaving him with his grandmother at an early age. Chad was not recruited by any top Division I NCAA schools because of his poor grades. In 1996, he enrolled at Division II Langston University in Oklahoma. Before he ever got a chance to show his skills on the field, he was expelled for fighting. The following year, 1997 he enrolled at Santa Monica Junior College. This is where Chad met Charles Collins, the wide receivers coach, who ended up playing the role of a father figure to Chad. In 1998 he failed out of Santa Monica Junior College. In 1999, Chad was re-admitted to Santa Monica and almost got to the point where he wasn’t going to be able to play football anymore because of his mindset that his skills in football would carry him through school.

Almost everyone had given up on Chad, and Charles Collins was ready to. In 1999 after returning to Santa Monica, Chad was charged with domestic violence. Charles Collins was getting frustrated with Chad because he had what it took to be a top receiver but his behavior was holding him back. The only reason why Collins didn’t give up on Chad was because he knew if he did… “He would be in jail, or not here. As in dead.” Collins told an ESPN reporter. With the support of Collins and with Steve Smith (who now plays for the Carolina Panthers) pushing him to get better and better Chad ended up transferring to Oregon State University.

Once he earned his chance to play for Oregon State, he almost ruined his opportunity when he got homesick. When asked about wanting to leave Oregon State because of being homesick, he said, “My grandma and Coach C didn’t allow me to throw what I had worked for all my life away. And they made me stay, and get myself together. I think that was my turning point.” In 2000, Chad became Oregon State’s leading receiver.

After his long college career at three different schools, he was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals with the 5th pick in the 2nd round of the 2001 NFL Draft. After being successful in the NFL for a few seasons he said “I listened to grandma, I listened to Coach C, and it’s been working ever since.”