Chad Johnson | Cincinnati Bengals - bengals.com
One of the most popular players in NFL history, his fun-loving charisma intersected perfectly with the rise of social media and transformed a quotable star athlete into a Twitter pioneer. Between his elaborate choreographed touchdown celebrations (proposing to a cheerleader, donning an imitation Hall of Fame blazer) and bombastic boasts (guaranteeing a win over the undefeated Chiefs), he was one of the most electrifying players of his era. He thrilled Paul Brown Stadium with a lightning release that made him untouchable off the line of scrimmage and gave rise to enough sprawling catches off deep balls and acrobatic receptions under zones for four straight conference receiving yardage titles, the only AFC receiver to do it in this century. During his ten seasons in Cincinnati, he became the franchise's all-time leading receiver with 10,783 yards, the third most in the NFL during that stretch. His durable popularity surfaced once again early in 2021 when he helped the Bengals introduce their new uniforms by modeling No. 85 on the 20th anniversary of the year he first put it on.
