Chad Johnson

Born Chad Javon Johnson in Miami, FL, he graduated from Miami Beach Senior High School before attending Langston University, a historically black college in Oklahoma, though he was not on their football team. He soon transferred to Santa Monica College in Los Angeles where he suited up alongside future Carolina Panther wide receiver Steve Smith. Transferring once again, this time to Oregon State University after aggressive recruiting from Coach Dennis Erickson, Johnson played alongside future Bengals wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh while helping his team win the Fiesta Bowl in 2001. Later that year, he was drafted in the second round by the Cincinnati Bengals, only to see moderate playing time during his rookie year. But in 2003, he set a team record by recording over 1,300 receiving yards, while establishing himself as one of the league's premier wide receivers. Also that year, he made his first appearance in the Pro Bowl, a feat he repeated four more consecutive times.In 2005, Johnson had a banner season, breaking his own team record with over 1,400 receiving yards while leading the AFC in the same category. That year, he became known for his over-the-top end zone celebrations after scoring a touchdown, including performing an Irish jig, making a mock proposal to a Bengals cheerleader, performing CPR on the football and using the end zone pylon as a putter and pumping his fist in a Tiger Woods-like fashion. Deemed excessive by the NFL, Ochocinco's end zone celebration resulted in numerous fines, which included being tagged for $5,000 after his Woods impression. His fines became frequent enough that following one touchdown, he held up a sign pleading with the NFL not to fine him again. The infraction cost him $10,000. In 2006, Johnson signed a contract extension that kept him a Bengal through the 2011 season. But injury sidelined him for the early part of the season, leading to a sharp decline in production over the first half of the year. He bounced back nicely, however, in a game with the San Diego Chargers in which he gained 260 yards receiving and set another Bengals record.Johnson wound up breaking an NFL record of amassing over 450 yards in two consecutive games, while going on to have an outstanding season when the first half indicated he was about to have one of his worst. During the course of the season, he publicly declared his desire to be called Chad Ocho Cinco, or Chad Eight-Five, referencing the number (85) he wore on his jersey. Following another $5,000 fine for a stunt where he covered up Johnson with Ocho Cinco on his uniform, the wide receiver legally changed his name to Ocho Cinco, though he was forced to combine the two words into one due to technicalities with how the NFL allows names to appear on jerseys. Meanwhile, he made a public outcry against his team prior to the 2008 season, feeling that they had failed to back him during the intense media scrutiny. Reports soon surfaced that he was privately threatening to sit out the season, though that failed to materialize. In 2009, Ochocinco went back to lighting up the league, though the team itself struggled to win in the playoffs after finally making the post season. He also began to segue into entertainment, appearing in an episode of the sports comedy, "The Game" (The CW, 2006-09; BET, 2011-15). Following another strong season in 2009, Ochocinco was named a season 10 contestant on "Dancing with the Stars" (ABC, 2005-), joining the likes of actress Shannen Doherty and former astronaut Buzz Aldrin. Partnered with professional dancer Cheryl Burke, Ochocinco strut his stuff both on and off the dance floor, before being eliminated in the 9th week semifinals.Determined to capitalize on his growing fame, Ochocinco branched out further into television on a variety of non-sports related projects. Alongside teammate Terrell Owens, he briefly cohosted the sports talk mish-mash "The T Ocho Show" (Versus, 2010) on the short-lived cable channel prior to its being converted into the NBC Sports Network. Also that year, he starred on his own dating reality series, demurely titled "Ochocinco: The Ultimate Catch" (VH1, 2010), which found the wide receiver looking for love among a bevy of beautiful contestants. His pal Owens was frequently on hand to lend advice and make suggestions when it came to picking the lucky lady. Although that endeavor ultimately did not lead to a lasting relationship, Cupid appeared to catch up with the flirtatious Ochocinco when he began dating reality star Evelyn Lozada. The courtship was, of course, covered extensively on Lozada's own reality series "Basketball Wives" (VH1, 2010-13). Back on the gridiron, changes were in the offing for Ochocinco. Despite playing well for the Bengals during the 2010-11 NFL season, he was traded to the far more successful New England Patriots. Unfortunately, he performed below expectations with his new team and was released from his contract over the summer not long after the Patriots lost to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI. Continuing to expand his visibility off the field, the gregarious Ochocinco made a cameo as himself on the second season of the raunchy comedy "Blue Mountain State" (Spike, 2010-2011) and turned up in a similar capacity for the equally debauched sequel "American Reunion" (2012). After being signed to the Miami Dolphins in July 2012, Ochocinco made good on an earlier statement when he legally changed his name back to Johnson in an effort, he said, to reconnect with his former self. Johnson and Lozada were married on July 4, 2012. The newlywed's period of marital bliss was short-lived, however, when one month later Johnson was arrested after police responded to a domestic abuse charge, in which Lozada claimed her husband headbutted her during a heated argument. The following day, Johnson was released from the Miami Dolphins and a month later pled no contest in a deal with prosecutors that would keep him out of jail. Adding insult to injury, coconut water company Zico pulled its endorsement deal with Johnson and VH1 scrapped plans for a reality series following his first year of marriage. Said marriage came to a definitive end when a judge granted Lozada's divorce request in September 2012, despite Johnson's attempts to reconcile.By Shawn Dwyer