Chad Johnson Admits Antics Overshadow His Talent
Chad Johnson, the 35-year-old ex-NFL star, is admitting that his behavior may have overshadowed his talent.
Johnson was the subject of a Twitter conversation between fans who compared the flamboyant athlete to hall-of-fame wide receiver Michael Irvin. After one fan pointed out that the sports publication Bleacher report noted that Johnson had more career receptions, yards and touchdowns than Irvin, the former joined in the conversation.
According to Johnson who goes by the nickname Ochocinco, his decisions off of the football field have distracted people from realizing how much he has accomplished as an NFL wideout.
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"My antics/entertainment overshadowed stats... fine with me though," Johnson tweeted recently.
When one person tweeted the February 2013 Bleacher Report article comparing Johnson to Irvin, the latter admitted that his career could have gone differently.
"If I didn't lose focus..," Johnson tweeted.
Johnson was cut from the Miami Dolphins after allegedly headbutting ex-wife Evelyn Lozada last summer. Despite his indiscretions, Johnson has insisted that he can still play football.
However, Johnson did reflect on what went wrong during his stint with the New England Patriots during the 2011-2012 season in a previous discussion on ESPN's "First Take."
"It worked for 10 years and I get to New England and it didn't work. What makes it even worst it didn't work with one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game," Johnson said on "First Take" last year. "I went to practice, I worked hard I did everything I was supposed to do. I didn't get the touches I wanted. Why was I upset? Because I'm playing with one of the best teams much less quarterbacks that I will ever play with."
When Smith questioned if being a top receiver in the league was important to Johnson, he said it was not.
"Having a job is sufficient for me. I have no leverage to come off right now which is why I'm taking the approach that I'm taking," Johnson said. "Then we'll talk about numbers."
After "First Take" host Skip Bayless asked Johnson if he realizes that he may be facing NFL extinction, the free agent responded candidly.
"Skip, look at me. If I don't play again I will be all right…I will get the opportunity to play again," Johnson said. "Why? Because this is the NFL and there's always second chances."
