“They took $50,000 out of My Check”: Chad Johnson Recalls Why He Wanted to Add ‘FU’ to His Jersey in Protest of the NFL

A six-time Pro Bowler by any other name may be just as sweet, but for the former Cincinnati Bengal wide receiver, Chad Johnson, there’s none sweeter than the moniker of “Ochocinco.” His name has steadily become one of the most memorable in NFL history, but not many know the story behind Johnson’s decision to rebrand himself.

During the latest episode of his Nightcap podcast, the two-time All-Pro wideout explained that it was his then-quarterback, Carson Palmer, who initially came up with the idea.

“Carson Palmer had this idea: ‘You should change your last name.’ This is how it all started. The Ochocinco thing didn’t come from me. Carson Palmer said ‘It would really be funny if you changed your name to ‘Ochenta y Cinco’ because the month of September is Spanish Heritage month in the NFL.”

Unfortunately, the NFL didn’t seem to appreciate his creativity.

“We go back to watch the film on Monday morning and I have a FedEx envelope in my locker. I got fined by the NFL. The NFL fined me $50,000 for altering the NFL uniform… Like any other player, I appealed the fine. The NFL upheld the fine, so they took $50,000 out of my check,” he revealed.

While that would have typically been the end of the story, Johnson’s pettiness knows no bounds. Determined to get even or get even worse, he devised a strategy, a rebrand, one that’s sole intention was “pissing the NFL off.” Once the season was officially over, he immediately began to file the necessary paperwork.

Simply put, he was going to make the league earn its money.

“I’m going to change my name on purpose as a “F you” to the NFL… Now put that last name on all of my jerseys since you wanna take my 50 grand… That’s how the brand and marketing strategy behind Ochocino came about. I didn’t really think about it long term, and I didn’t have a vision. It was more of a jab back at the NFL.”

What was initially intended to be a petty swipe at authority turned out to be a life-altering decision for Johnson, and while no one else has come close to altering the NFL uniform to the extent to which he did, there have been plenty of star wide receivers who have incurred the same exact fine.

The Dallas Cowboys’ primary receiver, CeeDee Lamb, received more than $20,000 in fines for leaving his jersey untucked on two separate occasions. Likewise, the Miami Dolphins’ veteran speedster, Tyreek Hill, recently claimed that he’s lost more than $100,000 to fines for various uniform infractions.

If anything, let the story of Johnson’s defiance serve as a reminder that, if you’re going to stand up to the powers that be, you better at least do so in style.

About the author

Triston Drew Cook

Triston Drew Cook is the NFL Journalist at The SportsRush. With a bachelor's degree in professional writing, Drew has been covering the NFL and everything that comes with it for over three years now. A journalist who's provided work for Sports Illustrated and GiveMeSport, Drew predominantly focuses his reporting on the world of football

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