For Chad Johnson, things were all good just a week ago.
The former NFL Pro Bowler, who legally changed his name from Chad Ochocinco back to Chad Johnson last month, was married to reality TV star Evelyn Lozada. He was a member of the Miami Dolphins. And, he was one of the most popular athletes on Twitter. But, now? Well, now Johnson is just another guy struggling through life. His wife has filed for divorce. The Dolphins have cut him from the team. And, while he still has plenty of Twitter followers (last we checked, he was sitting pretty at about 3.6 million), many of them are @-ing him some pretty nasty things right now.
And, why has all this happened? Well, in case you’ve been sleeping under about 10 rocks for the last few days, it’s because Johnson was arrested and charged with domestic battery on Saturday night after he allegedly head-butted Lozada when she confronted him about a condom receipt that she found in one of the couple’s cars. It’s going to be a difficult incident for him to recover from.
With that said, Ocho’s best days might be behind him. So, we thought it’d be good to compile a list of The 10 Craziest Moments of Chad Johnson’s Career. None of these moments are as crazy as the one that took place on Saturday. But, hey: These might be the only moments he has left to look back on soon. So, take a look and remember the good times.
The Moment: Creating a “checklist” of all the NFL cornerbacks he planned on burning during the 2005 season
The Date: November 2005
Why It Was So Crazy: This was the start of Johnson’s crazy self-promotion. To try and get under the skin of other teams, he came up with a list of all the corners he planned on beating on the field. That is, until his head coach Marvin Lewis made him take it down. Fortunately, that wasn’t the last crazy moment we’d enjoy courtesy of Johnson.
The Moment: Trying out for the MLS soccer team Sporting Kansas City during last year’s NFL lockout
The Date: March 2011
Why It Was So Crazy: Johnson wasn’t the first pro athlete to try a new sport (what up, MJ?!). But, most athletes don’t pick soccer when they decide to launch a second career. However, that didn’t deter him. Ocho tried—and subsequently failed—to make an MLS roster during the lockout. This guy…
The Moment: Teaming up with Terrell Owens in 2010 and nicknaming TO “Batman” and himself “Robin”
The Date: August 2010
Why It Was So Crazy: They couldn’t have come up with a better name?!? We’ll give them credit, though. They really went all out all out and even called one another “Batman” and “Robin” during practices, games, and interviews. Very strange.
The Moment: Wearing a yellow Football Hall of Fame jacket with the words “Future H.o.F 20??” on the back of it
The Date: September 2007
Why It Was So Crazy: Back in ’07, Johnson was doing everything he could to: A) Piss off the NFL Commissioner on a regular basis, B) Rack up a ton of fines, and C) Get on ESPN everyday. So, he came up with silly touchdown celebrations like this one. Too bad we haven’t seen one of these in awhile, because, you know, Johnson hasn’t seen the end zone in…damn, let’s just say it’s been a long time.
The Moment: Running a race against a horse on national TV
The Date: June 2007
Why It Was So Crazy: Do we really have to explain this one? We don’t think so. Moving on…
The Moment: Threatening to use Twitter during games
The Date: July 2009
Why It Was So Crazy: In April 2011, Johnson was called “the most influential athlete in social media” by CNBC. So, it should come as no surprise to hear that he had originally planned on tweeting during games. In fact, he’s the reason the NFL banned players from using Twitter immediately before, during, and after games. And, he’s also the reason other pro sports leagues followed suit.
The Moment: Teaming up with Motorola to launch OCNN, the Ocho Cinco News Network
The Date: April 2012
Why It Was So Crazy: At some point, Johnson realized that he was making headlines, like, almost everyday. So, he decided to try and profit off it by launching his own news network. It never really took off—maybe because he’s failed to cover negative stories like, you know, his recent domestic battery arrest?—but you can’t blame him for trying to capitalize off his fame.
The Moment: Legally changing his name from “Chad Johnson” to “Chad Ochocinco”
The Date: August 2008
Why It Was So Crazy: The whole “Ochocinco” thing was ridiculous and silly even before he made the name change. But, once he made it official? Well, it took on a whole life of its own. We do have to admit, though: We’re kind of upset that he decided to change his name back to “Chad Johnson” earlier this summer. We’d gotten use to the idea of calling him “Ocho.”
The Moment: Challenging UFC champion Anderson Silva to a fight
The Date: March 2011
Why It Was So Crazy: Real UFC fighters can’t beat “The Spider”! So, why the hell did Ocho think he stood a chance? He didn’t stop there, though. He also called out UFC fighter Georges St. Pierre in August 2011. But, not surprisingly, he never followed through on fighting either of them. That’s probably, er, make that definitely for the best.
The Moment: Making an appearance on Dancing With the Stars and using it to launch his own reality dating show, Ochocinco: The Ultimate Catch
The Date: May 2010
Why It Was So Crazy: First off, how did Ocho not win DWTS?!?! Almost every NFL player—or former NFL player—that has appeared on the show has won! And yet, he came in fourth. No worries, though. It helped him earn his own dating show that helped him find his future wife, who he…Oh, who are we kidding? If he had done that, do you think he’d be stuck in the position he’s in right now? Probably not. Maybe he should have used this crazy moment to his advantage.
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