Rudi Johnson
Encyclopedia
Burudi Ali "Rudi" Johnson (born October 1, 1979) is a former American football
running back
who played professionally from 2001 - 2008. Rudi was born in Petersburg, Virginia approximately 30 miles south of Richmond. His first name "Burudi" is Swahili and means "cool'" and his middle name "Ali" represented his family's respect and admiration for Muhammad Ali
. He began playing football at the age of six with the Ettrick Trojans of the Chesterfield Quarterback League. During his high school career, he played both offense and defense for the Thomas Dale Knights under head coach Victor Williams following in the footsteps of Ken Oxendine and William Henderson. During his career, he broke the school's rushing record which was held by his friend, mentor and coach Henry Jefferson. Upon graduation he enrolled at Butler Community College in El Dorado, Kansas joining the same junior college network which produced his NFL teammate Corey Dillon who played earlier for Butler's arch rival Garden City. After completing his Associates Degree at Butler, he was recruited and transferred to Auburn University playing under the coaching staff of Tommy Tuberville and running backs coach Eddie Gran. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals
in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft
.
Johnson was selected to the Pro Bowl
with the Bengals in 2004
leading the AFC team in rushing. His bruising style of nose to the grindstone running Johnson made quite a reputation, and led to nicknames such as "The Auburn Rambler"
, Johnson finished his career with 324 rushing attempts for 1567 yards (4.84 yards per rush average). His 324 rushing attempts was a school single season record and his 1567 rushing yards were the second-most in the school's history. He had ten games where he rushed for 100 yards or more. He was named SEC player of the year and nominated for the Doak Walker award which was later won by LaDainian Tomlinson. He was a sociology major. His fullback was Heath Evans
who would later go onto the NFL as well. NFL running back Ronnie Brown was also a teammate.
er Corey Dillon
, the Bengals leading rusher since 1997, and had just 17 carries and 7 receptions.
Dillon missed much of the 2003
with injuries, and Johnson unexpectedly found himself in the starting lineup
. He took full advantage of his opportunity, rushing for 957 yards and 9 touchdowns, while adding another 146 yards on 21 receptions in just 9 games.
After Dillon was traded to the New England Patriots
after the 2003
season, Rudi Johnson was named the starter. He did not disappoint, starting every game and setting a franchise rushing record with 1,454 yards. He also scored 12 touchdowns and was named to the AFC
Pro Bowl
squad.
Johnson was a major contributor in 2005
season, in which the Bengals reached the playoffs for the first time in 15 years. Johnson remained the starter as a punishing runner providing the running game needed to complement quarterback Carson Palmer and wide receiver Chad Johnson (Ochocinco). Chris Perry, former University of Michigan
running back, joined the backfield as the Bengals' first round pick in the 2004 NFL draft
. By the end of the season, the Bengals finished with an 11-5 record, the team's first winning season since 1990. Johnson broke his own franchise record with 1,458 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns while also recording a career high 23 receptions for 90 yards.
However, during the 2007
season, Johnson missed five games to injury, and he had only one game in which he rushed for over 100 yards. He finished with 497 yards on 170 carries for 3 touchdowns.
In August 2008, it was reported that the Bengals
were interested in trading Johnson for a "top receiver" to shore up their battered receiving corps, which would leave Chris Perry as the new feature back and either Kenny Watson
or DeDe Dorsey
as his backup. Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis
denied any trade talks involving Rudi Johnson. "It's a rumor," he stated. However on August 27, Johnson stated he expected to be gone "any minute." After a trade fell through, Johnson was released by the team on August 30 during final cuts.
on September 1, 2008. The Lions released running back
Tatum Bell
to make room for Johnson. The following day Johnson accused Bell of stealing his luggage although Bell insisted "it was just an honest mistake."
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
who played professionally from 2001 - 2008. Rudi was born in Petersburg, Virginia approximately 30 miles south of Richmond. His first name "Burudi" is Swahili and means "cool'" and his middle name "Ali" represented his family's respect and admiration for Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
. He began playing football at the age of six with the Ettrick Trojans of the Chesterfield Quarterback League. During his high school career, he played both offense and defense for the Thomas Dale Knights under head coach Victor Williams following in the footsteps of Ken Oxendine and William Henderson. During his career, he broke the school's rushing record which was held by his friend, mentor and coach Henry Jefferson. Upon graduation he enrolled at Butler Community College in El Dorado, Kansas joining the same junior college network which produced his NFL teammate Corey Dillon who played earlier for Butler's arch rival Garden City. After completing his Associates Degree at Butler, he was recruited and transferred to Auburn University playing under the coaching staff of Tommy Tuberville and running backs coach Eddie Gran. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft
2001 NFL Draft
The 2001 NFL Draft took place on April 21–22, 2001 at the theater at Madison Square Garden, in New York City. This was the 66th National Football League draft in league history. The draft was broadcast on ESPN both days and eventually moved to ESPN2. No teams elected to claim any players in the...
.
Johnson was selected to the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
with the Bengals in 2004
2005 Pro Bowl
The 2005 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played February 13, 2005 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The final score was AFC 38 - NFC 27. The most valuable player was Peyton Manning of the Colts. The game holds the record as the latest Pro Bowl played during the calendar year.-Game summary:The game...
leading the AFC team in rushing. His bruising style of nose to the grindstone running Johnson made quite a reputation, and led to nicknames such as "The Auburn Rambler"
Butler Community College
At Butler Community College, Johnson played two years. He led Butler to two national championships defeating Ricks College in 1998 and Dixie college in 1999. His most memorable performance coming against Dixie College in the championship game in which he ran for 375 yards and scored 7 touchdowns. He was subsequently named NJCAA "Player of the Year" .Auburn
At Auburn UniversityAuburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
, Johnson finished his career with 324 rushing attempts for 1567 yards (4.84 yards per rush average). His 324 rushing attempts was a school single season record and his 1567 rushing yards were the second-most in the school's history. He had ten games where he rushed for 100 yards or more. He was named SEC player of the year and nominated for the Doak Walker award which was later won by LaDainian Tomlinson. He was a sociology major. His fullback was Heath Evans
Heath Evans
Bryan Heath Evans is a former American football fullback. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
who would later go onto the NFL as well. NFL running back Ronnie Brown was also a teammate.
Cincinnati Bengals
Johnson saw little playing time in his first two NFL seasons. He backed up four-time Pro BowlPro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
er Corey Dillon
Corey Dillon
Corey James Dillon is a former American football running back. He played his ten-season career for the Cincinnati Bengals and the New England Patriots, wearing jersey number 28 for both teams. Dillon played college football the University of Washington where he wore the number 4.-High school...
, the Bengals leading rusher since 1997, and had just 17 carries and 7 receptions.
Dillon missed much of the 2003
2003 Cincinnati Bengals season
The 2003 Cincinnati Bengals season was the team's 36th year in professional football and its 34th with the National Football League. The Bengals are now under first year Head Coach Marvin Lewis, who replaced Dick LeBeau who was fired following the 2002 season for the worst season in Bengals history...
with injuries, and Johnson unexpectedly found himself in the starting lineup
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
. He took full advantage of his opportunity, rushing for 957 yards and 9 touchdowns, while adding another 146 yards on 21 receptions in just 9 games.
After Dillon was traded to the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
after the 2003
2003 Cincinnati Bengals season
The 2003 Cincinnati Bengals season was the team's 36th year in professional football and its 34th with the National Football League. The Bengals are now under first year Head Coach Marvin Lewis, who replaced Dick LeBeau who was fired following the 2002 season for the worst season in Bengals history...
season, Rudi Johnson was named the starter. He did not disappoint, starting every game and setting a franchise rushing record with 1,454 yards. He also scored 12 touchdowns and was named to the AFC
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
squad.
Johnson was a major contributor in 2005
2005 Cincinnati Bengals season
The 2005 Cincinnati Bengals season was the team's 38th year in professional football and its 36th with the National Football League.-NFL Draft:-Staff:-Roster:-Schedule:-Postseason:...
season, in which the Bengals reached the playoffs for the first time in 15 years. Johnson remained the starter as a punishing runner providing the running game needed to complement quarterback Carson Palmer and wide receiver Chad Johnson (Ochocinco). Chris Perry, former University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
running back, joined the backfield as the Bengals' first round pick in the 2004 NFL draft
2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...
. By the end of the season, the Bengals finished with an 11-5 record, the team's first winning season since 1990. Johnson broke his own franchise record with 1,458 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns while also recording a career high 23 receptions for 90 yards.
However, during the 2007
2007 Cincinnati Bengals season
The 2007 Cincinnati Bengals season was the 38th season for the team in the National Football League and their 40th overall season. The team attempted to improve upon their 8–8 record in 2006 and were looking to return to the playoffs after narrowly missing them...
season, Johnson missed five games to injury, and he had only one game in which he rushed for over 100 yards. He finished with 497 yards on 170 carries for 3 touchdowns.
In August 2008, it was reported that the Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
were interested in trading Johnson for a "top receiver" to shore up their battered receiving corps, which would leave Chris Perry as the new feature back and either Kenny Watson
Kenny Watson
Kenneth Dwight Watson is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2001...
or DeDe Dorsey
DeDe Dorsey
DeDe Dorsey is an American football running back for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 2006...
as his backup. Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis
Marvin Lewis
Marvin Ronald Lewis is the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League, a position he has held since January 14, 2003...
denied any trade talks involving Rudi Johnson. "It's a rumor," he stated. However on August 27, Johnson stated he expected to be gone "any minute." After a trade fell through, Johnson was released by the team on August 30 during final cuts.
Detroit Lions
Johnson signed a one-year deal with the Detroit LionsDetroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
on September 1, 2008. The Lions released running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Tatum Bell
Tatum Bell
Tatum Antoine Bell is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
to make room for Johnson. The following day Johnson accused Bell of stealing his luggage although Bell insisted "it was just an honest mistake."