Tag: Chris Johnson

On this day: Pierce signs with Celts to retire; Bremer signed; Williams born

On this day in 2017, Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce signed with Boston to retire a Celtic, and former wing Eric Williams was born.

On this day in 2017, legendary Boston Celtics small forward Paul Pierce signed a deal to rejoin the team long enough to retire a Celtic, a franchise he had played with for 15 seasons before being traded to the Brooklyn Nets in 2013.

After his time with the Nets, Pierce would play stints with the Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Clippers before his symbolic return to the franchise that drafted him with the 10th overall pick of the 1998 NBA Draft out of Kansas.

Pierce would win a title with Boston in 2008 along with Finals MVP, make 10 All-Star teams, four All-NBA teams and All-Rookie first team in 1999 among several other honors.

He averaged 21.8 points, 6 rebounds and 3.9 assists while with the team.

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See it: Former Titans RB Chris Johnson graduates from college

Chris Johnson is officially a college graduate.

It’s never too late for someone to go back to school and finish their education, and former Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson is proof of that.

13 years after he played his last game at East Carolina University, Johnson officially became a college graduate. He shared the special occasion via a post on Instagram.

Johnson spent four years at East Carolina where he totaled 2,982 rushing yards, 1,296 receiving yards and 42 total touchdowns (32 rushing). His best season came in 2007 when he finished with 1,953 yards from scrimmage and 23 scores.

After posting what was the fastest official 40-yard dash time in NFL Combine history, Johnson was a first-round pick of the Titans during the 2008 NFL Draft.

From there, Johnson went on to put together one of the best careers for a running back in franchise history.

The man also known as “CJ2K” went on to post six 1,000-yard seasons in each of his first six years in the NFL, one of which included a 2000-yard campaign on the ground in 2009, helping him earn his nickname. Johnson’s 2,509 yards from scrimmage that season is an NFL record.

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Former Titans RB Chris Johnson denies murder-for-hire allegations

Johnson called the allegations “false news.”

Former Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson is denying reported allegations that he paid someone to kill two men back in 2016.

A report, which was based on court documents obtained by TMZ, alleges Johnson paid Dominic Bolden, an alleged Florida gang member, to kill two men who were suspected of shooting him back in 2015 in Orlando.

Johnson’s friend, Dreekius Johnson, lost his life in the shooting in what officials believe was a “gang related murder attempt on Chris Johnson”, according to the report.

Johnson has not been charged with anything.

On Thursday, the former Titans running back came out and called the allegations “false news” on Twitter.

The court documents also say Johnson helped elevate Bolden’s status in a drug trafficking organization in Florida on top of paying him cash, per the TMZ report.

Johnson was drafted by the Titans in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He spent six seasons with the team, with his final one coming in 2013.

Johnson went on to play for the New York Jets in 2014, and then spent the next three seasons with the Arizona Cardinals.

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Former Jets RB Chris Johnson denies murder-for-hire allegations

Police say former NFL running back Chris Johnson paid a suspected Florida gang member to kill two men in 2016.

A TMZ report on Wednesday said that former Jets running back Chris Johnson has been accused of paying someone to allegedly kill two people in 2016. 

Johnson hasn’t been arrested or charged with any crimes related to these allegations, and he tweeted “False news!!!!!” soon after the story came out. One of Johnson’s representatives also told TMZ that “there’s no validity to any of these accusations.”

The report alleges that Johnson paid Dominic Bolden, a suspected Florida gang member, with money and a narcotics supply connection after he shot and killed two men in 2016. The men killed were believed to be responsible for a drive-by shooting in Orlando, Florida on March 8, 2015, that killed Johnson’s friend, Dreekius Johnson, and left Johnson and another friend wounded. 

Police believe the 2015 shooting was a “gang-related murder attempt” on Johnson, according to court documents obtained by TMZ, and that the two murders in 2016 were allegedly carried out by Bolden as retribution. In return, police say Johnson helped Bolden become the leader of a large drug trafficking organization in Florida.

The 2015 shooting occurred less than a month after the Jets released Johnson following a lone season in New York in 2014. Johnson, who suffered a shoulder injury during the shooting, recovered and played three more seasons for the Cardinals before officially retiring as a member of the Titans in 2019. 

Johnson, who said this week that he regretted joining the Jets, holds the record for the most scrimmage yards in a single season with 2,509 after breaking Marshall Faulk’s total in 2009. 

Geno Smith calls Rex Ryan ‘snake’ after coach slams QB & Bill Belichick

Former New York Jets coach Rex Ryan gave Tom Brady credit for the Bill Belichick’s six Super Bowl rings while bashing Geno Smith.

Bill Belichick has won six Super Bowls with the Patriots since 2000, but former Jets coach Rex Ryan said he wouldn’t have any titles if not for Tom Brady. Ryan went so far as to invoke the name of former Jets quarterback Geno Smith – who Ryan coached from 2013-14 – when making his argument. 

“Let’s give him Geno Smith,” Ryan said on ESPN’s First Take, “and let’s see how many Super Bowls he would have won.”

The video quickly went viral, and caught the eye of Smith. The former Jets retorted with a series of tweets directed at his old coach. Smith called Ryan a “snake” and said that he was being painted as a scapegoat for the Jets’ poor record during his time as the starter.

 

Neither Ryan nor Smith had much success in New York. Ryan went 46-50 in six seasons – including 5-8 in 13 games against the Patriots – while Smith went 11-18 in Ryan’s final two years in New York. Ryan started off hot in New York with back-to-back AFC championship appearances but faltered before being fired in 2014.

Smith, who Ryan and the Jets drafted 39th overall in 2013, completed 57.5 percent of his passes for 5,5571 yards, 25 touchdowns and 34 interceptions in the 29 games he played. He lost the Jets’ starting job to Ryan Fitzpatrick for good before the 2015 season when defensive end IK Enemkpali punched Smith in the face and fractured his jaw. Smith played with the Giants and Chargers and was the backup for the Seahawks in 2019.

RB Chris Johnson regrets picking Jets over Ravens in 2014

With the choice between the Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets, former Tennessee Titans RB Chris Johnson chose poorly. And he knows it too.

While NFL free agency is a great opportunity for players to earn big contracts, especially for those coming off their rookie deals, it’s all too often a lesson in hindsight. Not every player makes the right decision, with some choosing more money over a better situation. That was the case for former NFL running back Chris Johnson, who tweeted his regret for not signing with the Baltimore Ravens following the 2013 season.

Johnson is right to regret his decision. After rushing for over 1,000 yards and six touchdowns with the Tennessee Titans in 2013, Johnson entered free agency for the first time in his career. With the New York Jets and Ravens both showing interest, Johnson chose poorly. He ended up starting just six games of the 16 he was active for, splitting carries with Chris Ivory in New York. He accounted for just 663 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown before being cut the next offseason. Though Johnson bounced back slightly with the Arizona Cardinals in 2015, he ultimately never reproduced the stats he had with the Titans.

For Baltimore, they turned their attention to journeyman running back Justin Forsett instead. Forsett had his first and only Pro Bowl season, rushing for 1,266 yards and eight touchdowns while catching 44 passes for 263 yards. The performance earned Forsett a contract extension before flaming out with the Ravens three games into the 2016 season.

Hindsight is always 20/20 but it’s easy to see how the speedy Johnson would have fared well in Baltimore’s scheme. After using running back Ray Rice as both a rusher and receiving threat to great results for the previous five seasons, Johnson could have been used in a similar fashion. It’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility Johnson would have earned a Pro Bowl nod and had one of his best seasons, propelling him to a stronger finish to his career.

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Chris Johnson questions decision to join Jets over Ravens in 2014

Chris Johnson remorses on his bad decision to join the 2014 Jets instead of the Baltimore Ravens.

It’s been six years since running back Chris Johnson played for the New York Jets, but the decision still haunts him.

Johnson tweeted on Monday night about his free agency decision in 2014. In the tweet, he wondered how he picked the Jets over the Ravens in free agency after spending six years with the Tennessee Titans.

Later on, Johnson tweeted again, this time saying that he meant no disrespect to the Jets organization. Rather, he explained that Gang Green was already set at the running back position with Chris *Ivory* and Bilal Powell.

In retrospect, Johnson did make a bad decision. That year the Jets finished dead last in the AFC East with a 4-12 record, while the Ravens went 10-6 and won a playoff game.

In his only season with the Jets, Johnson didn’t record 1,000 rushing yards for the first time in his career. Johnson finished with 663 rushing yards and one touchdown with the Jets. Meanwhile, his rushing attempts per game dipped to less than 10 carries per game after he averaged at least 16 in six years with Tennessee.

As for the Ravens running back situation in 2014, it worked out quite well for them. That was the year Justin Forsett exploded for 1,266 rushing yards and eight touchdowns, which was good enough for a Pro Bowl appearance.

Unfortunately for Johnson, he can’t go back in time and change his decision. But the choice still lingers in his head when he thinks of what could’ve been had he signed with Baltimore instead of New York.

Former Titans RB Chris Johnson is mad he didn’t make All-Decade Team

Johnson believes he should have made the cut.

Former Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson was certainly a candidate to make the NFL’s 2010s All-Decade Team, but he ended up not making the cut.

Johnson’s best season came in 2009 when he totaled over 2,000 yards rushing, but of course that season was right before the start of the decade.

Even so, Johnson believes he should have made the team.

Unfortunately for Johnson, two of his six straight 1,000-yard seasons occurred before the 2010s, so obviously that isn’t counted.

Each of the backs who made the cut — LeSean McCoy, Frank Gore, Marshawn Lynch and Adrian Peterson — each had at least four 1,000-yard seasons in the decade, albeit not all of them accomplished those in a row.

Perhaps if Johnson had started his run of six straight 1,000-yard seasons in 2010, he might have made the list.

Not a single Titan, whether past or present, made the 2010s All-Decade Team. Guys like defensive lineman Jurrell Casey, punter Brett Kern and  tight end Delanie Walker were all possibilities.

Johnson spent six seasons with the Titans after being drafted in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He totaled 1,000 yards or more in each season and we recently ranked him as a top five first-round pick of the franchise since 1999.

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Former Titans RB Chris Johnson predicts landing spot for Cam Newton

CJ2K believes he has the perfect landing spot for Cam Newton.

This year’s free agency has been absolutely loaded at the quarterback position, and one name teams could still add to their roster is former Carolina Panthers quarterback, Cam Newton.

The question is as to where he’ll land, and former Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson seems to think he has the right idea.

Johnson took to Twitter on Monday, pinning Newton to the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Chargers parted ways with Philip Rivers earlier this offseason, and he’s now found his landing spot with the Indianapolis Colts, a team desperately trying to fill the void at signal-caller since Andrew Luck announced his retirement ahead of the 2019 season.

Johnson’s scenario of Newton to the Chargers is at odds with FOX Sports’ Colin Cowherd, who doesn’t see the move being a real possibility.

In Cowherd’s mind, Newton is simply too similar to Tyrod Taylor.

“Cam and Tyrod are the same guy. . . . The gap between the two is tiny, and if coachability and health matters, I can say Tyrod Taylor gets the edge,” Cowherd said.

It will be interesting to see where Newton lands and how things shake out for him once he finally ends up with a new team.

Ex-Titans RB Chris Johnson calls out ’40 Yards of Gold’ for not paying participants

Chris Johnson called out the “40 Yards of Gold” tournament for not paying participants.

The “40 Yards of Gold” event held back in 2019, which was broadcast on Pay-Per-View, pitted 16 of the fastest NFL players against one another in a bracket-style tournament to determine who would come out on top.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Marquise Goodwin was the eventual winner, coming away with what should have been $1 million for the victory. The rest of the participants were supposed to get $25,000 for showing up.

But the problem is the checks that were written to the participants bounced and nobody has been paid. The person who apparently funded the event, Farzin Morena, claimed he isn’t the reason that payments haven’t been made, according to an article by Daniel Kaplan of The Athletic last year.

Former Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson, who was on-hand to help host with former NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson, took to Instagram to call out the organizers for not paying the participants.

“Enough is enough so we all came together as past and present athletes to support @40yardsofgold pull of this event and no one got paid!!!! They wrote guys checks that bounced and still haven’t paid guys if anyone else participated in this event and wasn’t paid repost this so we can get what’s owed to us!!!!!! We need to all get together and get lawyers to jump on top of this I do t know everyone IG name but pass along and repost”

Other current and former NFL players who took part in the event chimed in beneath Johnson’s post in the comments, including Carolina Panthers wide receiver, Robby Anderson.

Robby Anderson: “Real (expletive) they try to say they was gone sue me f I ain’t come tho smh”

Fabian Washington: “All I want is mine. Nothing more nothing less. (Expletive) is Ridiculous”

The lack of payment sent out to the participants is nothing new, but it seems that this situation is understandably hitting a breaking point.