Rudi Johnson
Rudi Ali Johnson (born October 1, 1979 in Petersburg, Virginia) is a running back who currently plays for the Cincinnati Bengals. He was drafted by the Bengals out of Auburn University with the fifth pick of the fourth round (100th overall) of the 2001 NFL Draft. His mother got his middle name from her idol, Muhammad Ali.
Junior College career
A graduate of Thomas Dale High School in Chester, Virginia, Johnson attended Butler County Community College in El Dorado, Kansas for two years. As a sophomore, he averaged 7.3 yards per carry.
College career
At Auburn University, 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.
NFL
Rudi Johnson saw little playing time in his first two NFL seasons. He backed up three-time Pro Bowler Corey Dillon, the Bengals leading rusher since 1997, and had just 17 carries and 7 receptions.
But Dillon missed much of the 2003 season 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. Rudi Johnson's contributions helped the Bengals improve from a 2-14 record in 2002 (the worst in franchise history,) to an 8-8 record in 2003, only their second non-losing record in 13 years.
An unhappy Dillon was traded to the New England Patriots after the 2003 season and 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. With Rudi Johnson in the backfield, the Bengals duplicated their 8-8 season.
Johnson is considered one of the NFL's better running backs and one of the main reasons for the Bengals' dramatic improvement. In 2005, Johnson shared tailback duties with former University of Michigan running back Chris Perry, the Bengals' first round pick in the 2004 NFL draft, giving the Bengals' running attack added dimension. By the end of the season, the Bengals finished with an 11-5 record, the team's first winning season since 1990. This was in no small part due to Johnson, who broke his own franchise record with 1,458 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, while also recording a career high 23 receptions for 90 yards. In the 2007 NFL Draft, the Bengals chose former Auburn running back Kenny Irons with their second round pick, possibly because of Johnson's success being a non-first round pick out of Auburn.
References
- Rudi Johnson. (2007, August 24). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 15:22, September 17, 2007 [1]
External links
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