A former NFL star shared a message of positivity and urged high school students to “never give up” just days before his death by suicide earlier this week.
Rudi Johnson recorded a message for his induction into the Chesterfield Sports Hall of Fame, which represents the area of Virginia where he was born and raised.
“I want to give a special shutout to all the people who came before me, the alumni from Thomas Dale High School and Ettrick Trojans,” Johnson said in a taped message after being inducted as part of the hall’s 2025 class last weekend. “Also, the same people that came after me.
“So, with that being said, I just want to say dream big, shoot for the stars, stay focused, never give up.
“And one more thing: For the all kids from Chesterfield County, I’ll be watching for the next star to be born.”
According to TMZ, Johnson died by suicide early Tuesday in Florida at the age of 45.
The outlet also reported that Johnson “had been recently struggling with mental health issues and the possible effects of CTE that he could not overcome.”
In his taped speech, Johnson thanked his high school football coaches, sharing their mentorship on and off the field.
“He told me to keep your head on straight, stay focused and one day we’ll see you on Monday Night Football,” Johnson said of a coach. “I took those words of encouragement.
“Next stop up, before it was all said and done, me and coach and the rest of my teammates, we were able to win the first-ever Super Bowl championship trophy back for my beloved Ettrick Trojans. Which meant a great deal to me, my community, my friends and everyone, and family.”
Johnson became a college football star during his time at Auburn, winning SEC Player of the Year honours in 2000.
He was drafted by the Bengals in the fourth round of the 2001 draft and went on to play seven seasons with the team.
Johnson is Cincinnati’s fourth-leading rusher of all time and holds the franchise record for most rushing yards in a season with 1,458 in 2005 – breaking his own record of 1,454 the previous year, in which he made his lone Pro Bowl appearance.
Johnson played one year with the Detroit Lions before retiring following the 2008 season.
“Rudi was a fine person and an excellent running back for us,” Bengals owner Mike Brown said in a statement. “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.”