Former NFL legend Rudi Johnson has passed away at the age of 45—with police officers in his home state of Florida telling TMZ that the sports star died by suicide in the early hours of Sept. 23.
Johnson, whose real name was Burudi Ali Johnson, spent eight seasons playing in the NFL after being selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fourth round of the 2001 draft.
In the wake of the news of his death, the Bengals shared a public tribute to Johnson, describing him as “a fine person” and a “dependable and productive” player.
“The Cincinnati Bengals mourn the passing of former halfback Rudi Johnson, a Pro Bowler who played for the team from 2001-07 and is among the top rushers in franchise history,” the statement began, before including a quote from the team’s president, Mike Brown.
“Rudi was a fine person and an excellent running back for us,” Brown said. “He was dependable and productive as a player, and very popular among his teammates. Everyone liked him and saw him as a dear friend. We are deeply saddened by his passing.”
The running back spent seven seasons playing with the Bengals, before signing a one-year contract with the Detroit Lions in September 2008. That year would be his last in the NFL.
However Johnson, who was born in Virginia, began his football career many years earlier at the age of 6, before going on to become one of his high school’s best-performing players—breaking Thomas Dale Knights‘ rushing record.
After high school, the sporting superstar enrolled at Butler Community College, where he once again established himself as one of the school’s leading athletes, before transferring to Auburn University two years later to join the Tigers in the NCAA.
Since his retirement from the NFL in 2008, Johnson has maintained a low profile; however, a source close to the athlete told TMZ that he had been struggling with “mental health issues and the possible effects of CTE that he could not overcome.”
CTE—or chronic traumatic encephalopathy—is a brain disease that is understood to be caused by “repeated head injuries,” according to the Mayo Clinic; however, the condition is very rare and little is known about how it is caused.
The incurable disease, which causes the nerve cells in the brain to die, worsens over time; however, it can only be diagnosed after death if an autopsy is performed on the brain.
Sufferers of the disease are known to experience “trouble with thinking and emotions, physical symptoms, and other behaviors,” the Mayo Clinic notes.
While Johnson never addressed—or confirmed—suspicions that he might have been dealing with CTE, he dedicated much of his life after his NFL career to helping people “on and off the field,” an insider told TMZ.
This included the establishment of his eponymous charity, The Rudi Johnson Foundation, which was headquartered in his hometown of Petersburg, VA, and which was run by his mother, Janice.
The foundation focused largely on improving the lives of children in and around the local area, establishing programs to fund hot lunches for school students, the creation of youth camps, and the implementation of scholarships.
However, for the last decade of his life, Johnson had based himself primarily in the Sunshine State, where records show that he purchased a condo unit in a newly built building in Sunny Isles Beach in August 2019.
Johnson paid just under $1.5 million for the property, which featured three bedrooms, three bathrooms, and spectacular water views.
Prior to that, the NFL star had owned a sprawling property in Coral Gables, which he bought for $1.3 million in September 2010.
The athlete parted ways with that property in 2016, when he sold the home for $2.1 million—having initially listed it for $2.7 million in June 2015.
During his time with the Bengals, Johnson resided in Cincinnati not far from the team’s stadium; however, he sold his Ohio home in 2013, five years after ending his NFL career.
Although Johnson enjoyed a very private life in the wake of his professional sports career, revealing little about his personal relationships, one of his former high school teammates, Thomas Dale, described him in a Facebook tribute as a “great husband” and a “great father.”
“Knight nation we need all your prayers for the Johnson family,” Dale wrote. “My former teammate and Knight legend Rudi Johnson has passed away. I’ve spoken with the family and they wanted to express thanks for all the prayers and support during these difficult times and please respect their privacy.
“They have asked me to express that Rudi was a strong family man who loved all that he met, especially his family. He was a great son, a great husband, a great father and brother.
“At this time, let’s just all come together in prayer and show our support to the Johnson family. I will share more details at a later date. Please remember to check on your loved ones and remember to take care of your mental health.”
