Rudi Johnson facts for kids
Johnson prior to the 2007 Monday Night opener
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| No. 32 | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | October 1, 1979 Ettrick, Virginia, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 225 lb (102 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Thomas Dale (Chester, Virginia ) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Auburn | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2001 / Round: 4 / Pick: 100 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Burudi Ali Johnson (born October 1, 1979) is a former professional football player. He played as a running back for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL). The Cincinnati Bengals chose him in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL draft.
Johnson was picked for the Pro Bowl in 2004 while playing for the Bengals. He was known for his strong, tough running style. This earned him the nickname "Auburn Rambler."
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Early Life and Football Start
Johnson was born in Petersburg, Virginia. His first name, "Burudi," means "cool" in Swahili. His middle name, "Ali," shows his family's respect for Muhammad Ali. He started playing football when he was six years old. He played for the Ettrick Trojans.
In high school, he played for the Thomas Dale Knights. He played both offense and defense. He broke the school's rushing record, which was held by his friend and coach, Henry Jefferson. After high school, he went to Butler Community College.
College Football Journey
Playing at Butler Community College
Johnson played for two years at Butler Community College in Kansas. He helped Butler win two national championships. They beat Ricks College in 1998 and Dixie College in 1999. In the championship game against Dixie College, he had an amazing performance. He ran for 375 yards and scored seven touchdowns! He was named the NJCAA "Player of the Year." Later, Johnson was added to the NJCAA Hall of Fame.
Time at Auburn University
After junior college, Johnson played for Auburn University. He finished his college career with 1,567 rushing yards. This was the second-highest in Auburn's history for a single season. He also set a school record with 324 rushing attempts in one season. He had ten games where he ran for 100 yards or more.
He was named the SEC (Southeastern Conference) Player of the Year. He was also nominated for the Doak Walker Award, which is given to the best college running back. His teammates included future NFL players Heath Evans and Ronnie Brown. Johnson studied sociology in college.
Professional NFL Career
Starting with the Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals picked Rudi Johnson in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL draft. He was the 100th player chosen overall. In his first two NFL seasons, Johnson did not play much. He was a backup to Corey Dillon, a four-time Pro Bowl player.
In the 2003 season, Dillon was injured. This gave Johnson a chance to become a starter. In one game, he carried the ball 43 times for 182 yards and two touchdowns. In another game, he ran for 174 yards and two touchdowns. Overall, he rushed for 957 yards and nine touchdowns in just nine games.
After the 2003 season, Dillon was traded. Johnson became the main running back for the Bengals. In 2004, he started every game. He set a new team record with 1,454 rushing yards. He also scored 12 touchdowns. Because of his great season, he was named to the AFC Pro Bowl team.
Johnson was a key player in the 2005 season. The Bengals made the playoffs for the first time in 15 years. Johnson's strong running helped balance the team's offense. This allowed quarterback Carson Palmer and wide receiver Chad Johnson to shine. He broke his own team record with 1,458 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. He also caught 23 passes for 90 yards. In his first playoff game, he scored a touchdown.
In the 2006 season, Johnson continued to play well. He rushed for 1,309 yards and 12 touchdowns. He started 15 out of 16 games. During the 2007 season, Johnson missed five games due to injuries. He finished the season with 497 rushing yards and three touchdowns. In August 2008, the Bengals released Johnson from the team.
Playing for the Detroit Lions
On September 1, 2008, Johnson signed a one-year deal with the Detroit Lions. He played one season with the Lions. He had 237 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. He also caught passes for 88 yards and one receiving touchdown. The 2008 season was Johnson's last in the NFL.
NFL Career Statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Bold | Career high |
Regular season
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 2001 | CIN | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | CIN | 7 | 0 | 17 | 67 | 3.9 | 13 | 0 | 6 | 34 | 5.7 | 14 | 0 |
| 2003 | CIN | 13 | 5 | 215 | 957 | 4.5 | 54 | 9 | 21 | 146 | 7.0 | 17 | 0 |
| 2004 | CIN | 16 | 16 | 361 | 1,454 | 4.0 | 52 | 12 | 15 | 84 | 5.6 | 30 | 0 |
| 2005 | CIN | 16 | 14 | 337 | 1,458 | 4.3 | 33 | 12 | 23 | 90 | 3.9 | 15 | 0 |
| 2006 | CIN | 16 | 15 | 341 | 1,309 | 3.8 | 22 | 12 | 23 | 124 | 5.4 | 18 | 0 |
| 2007 | CIN | 11 | 9 | 170 | 497 | 2.9 | 22 | 3 | 13 | 110 | 8.5 | 33 | 1 |
| 2008 | DET | 14 | 4 | 76 | 237 | 3.1 | 27 | 1 | 12 | 88 | 7.3 | 34 | 1 |
| Total | 95 | 63 | 1,517 | 5,979 | 3.9 | 54 | 49 | 113 | 676 | 6.0 | 34 | 2 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 2005 | CIN | 1 | 1 | 13 | 56 | 4.3 | 20 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 7.0 | 11 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 1 | 13 | 56 | 4.3 | 20 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 7.0 | 11 | 0 | |
Community Involvement
The Rudi Johnson Foundation was started in July 2005. This foundation helps families and children become more self-sufficient. It runs several programs in the community. In 2007, James Farrior of the Pittsburgh Steelers joined this effort. He started his own foundation to help.
The foundation helped fund the first football team for Clark Montessori High School in Cincinnati. The foundation also strongly supports Be The Match. This is a national registry for the National Bone Marrow Registry. They often organize events to find more minority donors.
