Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson shared his regret over not saying goodbye to his former teammate and friend, Rudi Johnson, who died by suicide Tuesday in Florida at age 45.
The two were part of the same Cincinnati Bengals draft class in 2001 and played together for seven seasons.
Chad Johnson addressed Rudi’s death Wednesday on his “Nightcap” show, explaining why he always tells his social media followers and people he meets he loves them.
“I want to tell y’all I love you,” Chad told his listeners. “If you follow me, you probably hear me tweet it all the time, every single day. I got on Twitter in 2009, right? And every day since 2009, I always say ‘I love you.’ If you see me in person, I probably don’t even know you and I hugged you and told you ‘I love you.’ I do it for a reason, I always say it for a reason because I never know when it might be my last time saying ‘I love you’ that you see and meet because you never know when it’s your time.
“I just lost my dog, I just lost my dog yesterday, Rudi Johnson. And I’m upset. I’m upset, I’m hurt,” he continued. “Obviously the great memories we had playing in Cincinnati and all that good stuff. One thing I always did with my teammates is I always had a chance to tell them ‘I love you.’ The same way I do with strangers I see in the airports, the malls, wherever I’m at. I always share that message.
“I’m kind of upset, I’m kind of hurt I wasn’t able to say goodbye to a good friend of mine. It’s unfortunate. Young Rudi boy, you’re gonna be missed. I love you.”
TMZ reported that Rudi Johnson was “struggling with mental health issues” before his death.
“Rudi was a fine person and an excellent running back for us,” Bengals owner Mike Brown said in a statement after Rudi’s death. “He was dependable and productive as a player, and very popular among his teammates. Everyone liked him and saw him as a dear friend. We are deeply saddened by his passing.”
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis, you can call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org for free and confidential crisis counseling.