Rudi Johnson offered an uplifting message to Virginia youth last week, urging them to “never give up” days before he reportedly committed suicide on Tuesday at the age of 45.
“I want to give a special shutout to all the people who came before me, the alumni from Thomas Dale High School and Ettrick Trojans,” Johnson said in a taped message after being inducted into the Chesterfield Sports Hall of Fame 2025 class. “Also, the same people that came after me. So, with that being said, I just want to say dream big, shoot for the stars, stay focused, never give up. And one more thing: For the all kids from Chesterfield County, I’ll be watching for the next star to be born.”
Johnson reportedly died by suicide in Florida shortly after midnight Tuesday, police told TMZ.
The outlet further reported that Johnson “had been recently struggling with mental health issues and the possible effects of CTE that he could not overcome.”
Johnson grew up in Virginia and later shined for Auburn for one year before his eight-year NFL career that saw him set the Bengals’ single-season rushing record.
He began playing with the Etrrick Trojans of the Chesterfield Quarterback League, and thanked his coach who provided him with positive words that stuck.
“He told me to keep your head on straight, stay focused and one day we’ll see you on ‘Monday Night Football,'” Johnson said. “I took those words of encouragement.
“Next stop up, before it was all said and done, me and coach and the rest of my teammates, we were able to win the first-ever Super Bowl championship trophy back for my beloved Ettrick Trojans. Which meant a great deal to me, my community, my friends and everyone, and family.”
Johnson then becamee a superstar for Thomas Dale High School in Chester, Va., calling it an “honor and privilege” to play under coach Vic Williams, noting that he taught him about hard work, discipline and dedication.
He also praised coach Henry Jefferson for being a mentor both on and off the field.
“My journey and my time at Thomas Dale High School I cherished every moment of it. All four years was a different challenge,” Johnson said in his taped speech.
“We won a lot of games, and there was a lot of heartache at the end but we didn’t pull through in the crunch time, but through the journey of them all from Little League, from Ettrick, to Thomas Dale High School, it was all worth it and all of the relationships built along the way.”
Johnson went from Thomas Dale to Butler Community College in Kansas for two years before winning SEC Player of the Year honors in 2000.
He holds the top two spots in Bengals’ history for single-season rushing yards, and is the team’s fourth-highest all-time rusher.
“Rudi was a fine person and an excellent running back for us,” Bengals owner Mike Brown said in a statement. “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.