These days, touchdown celebrations are commonplace in the NFL. Back when Chad Johnson was tearing up the league, though, that wasn’t the case. The NFL had very strict policies on scoring or turnover festivities throughout the 2000s and mid-2010s. Whether he was named Johnson or Ochocinco, the former wideout didn’t let those rules prevent him from putting on a show.
Advertisement
The NFL was there each time Johnson stepped over the celebratory boundaries. Roger Goodell would fine Johnson for his antics on a regular basis. Johnson discussed how his relationship with Goodell has changed over the years on They Call It Late Night with Jason Kelce.
With the commissioner himself, Kelce, and longtime teammate Andrew Whitworth on set, Johnson revealed he had a nickname for Goodell as a player.
“He took all my money… I started calling him Dad, because he was taking so much at a time. [And] I never stopped. Because I don’t think he understood during that time I’m having fun and playing the game the way I felt it should be played… we have the best relationship now… it’s like the bad kid seeing the principal years after graduating.”
Johnson eventually grew tired of seeing money yanked from his weekly checks. However, that didn’t stop him from celebrating. Instead, he began paying his fines before they were assessed.
“By the time I got to year six or seven… I was getting fined so much, I started sending the money in a week in advance. I already knew I was gonna do something, they knew I was gonna do something. So you don’t have to take it out of my check, here you go ahead of time.”
When the NFL adjusted its rules on “excessive celebrations” in 2017, Goodell sought Johnson’s advice. While Goodell admitted public perception led to his desire to alter the legislation, he knew it was important to have players’ perspectives on the issue. In his mind, there was no better person to collaborate with than Johnson.
“He wanted to make the game more fun… fans wanted it. We had that ‘No Fun League’ stuff… let them have a good time. And it sort of took a while to get that through, cause everyone wants to be the ‘pure football’… I think it’s fantastic to let guys express who they are and how much they love the game.”
After Goodell’s admission, Johnson asked if it was “possible” for him to get his money back. As they all laughed, Goodell told him his money “has been spent.”
His sacrifice, though, paved the way for outstanding individual and team shenanigans we see today. And that’s something players and fans alike are thankful for.
