There have been eight running backs in NFL history that have rushed for over 2,000 yards in a season.
Chris Johnson was the sixth such back to do so.
“CJ2K” reached the milestone in his second pro season with the Tennessee Titans in 2009 and set several other league records along the way.
It was a remarkable feat since he had only run for 1,000 yards once while in college.
Although he was a shade under six feet tall and just 203 pounds, Johnson continued to put up good numbers for the next few seasons.
Chris Johnson currently visiting with @nyjets.
Find out who else is in the hunt.
CJ2K Tracker http://t.co/ij7TZUTPM5 pic.twitter.com/Q85slelkiq— NFL (@NFL) April 15, 2014
Including 2009, he rushed for 1,000 or more yards in each of his first six years in the NFL.
Then, after getting traded to the New York Jets in 2014, Johnson’s play drastically decreased.
One season and 600 yards in the Big Apple led to three with the Arizona Cardinals that netted the running back all of 1,023 yards before he retired in 2018.
This is the story of Chris Johnson.
Poor Academics Nearly Cost Johnson
Christopher Duan Johnson was born on September 23, 1985, in Orlando, Florida.
Happy Birthday to my guy @ChrisJohnson28 aka CJ2K!! #BirdGang shows this man some love!! pic.twitter.com/1SfediHlLF
— Larry Fitzgerald (@LarryFitzgerald) September 23, 2016
By the time he reached Olympia High School in Orlando, it was crystal clear that Johnson was extremely talented as an athlete.
He was small in stature and didn’t weigh much, but Johnson was scary fast and proved to be a beast on the gridiron and track.
Countless opponents struggled to contain him as a running back with the Titans.
During his junior year, Johnson dashed for over 1,000 yards.
Then, during track season, he was a blur in the 100 and 200 meter sprints and also anchored a 4×100 relay team that won a national championship.
Unfortunately, despite rushing for eight touchdowns, Johnson suffered a broken leg as a senior and missed four games.
That didn’t prevent him from being named an All-County selection and a ranking as one of the top 100 athletes in the state by Super-Prep Magazine.
Johnson continued to run well during track season, but his football prospects were almost completely dried up by then.
As an athlete, Johnson was a diligent worker and put everything he had into his performance.
His academic performance, on the other hand, was less than stellar.
With graduation looming, many colleges were scared off by the fact that he most likely wouldn’t qualify academically.
Johnson Becomes a Pirate
John Thompson was hired to be the head football coach at East Carolina University in 2003.
In his first season with the Pirates, ECU only won a single game.
Fearing for his job, Thompson scoured the land looking for game-breaking talent.
He found an unlikely prospect in Florida by the name of Chris Johnson.
When the coach met with Johnson and his mother, he told them that Chris had a lot of work to do.
Thompson wanted Johnson to play for him, but the kid had to qualify academically first.
If he could improve his grades, Thompson believed that Johnson would be one of the best college players in the nation.
“I do remember sitting in there that day and saying, ‘Chris is going to make it, and he’s going to be successful and he’s going to come back here and play in the NFL. But he’s got a lot of work to do before he gets there,'” Thompson said in 2010. “We talked about Chris coming to school and doing something special.”
For the next few months, Johnson was all-in on his studies.
He attended night school and was buoyed by family members and his high school coach to persevere.
All the hard work paid off when Johnson learned he was academically eligible to attend classes at ECU only a month before fall ball started.
Chris Johnson was basically a cheat code at @ECUPiratesFB. pic.twitter.com/f1pZtsUkyD
— CBS Sports Network (@CBSSportsNet) October 11, 2018
When Thompson and his staff learned that Johnson was going to make it, there was instant jubilation.
The coaching staff also realized the schools that had previously recruited Johnson (UConn, Eastern Kentucky and the University of South Florida, among others) might compete for his services.
So, Thompson didn’t immediately share the news that Johnson had committed to the Pirates.
Instead, the running back arrived on campus and saw playing time as a freshman in 2004.
He started seven games and made an impact as a runner, receiver and kick returner.
While the Pirates increased their win count to two, Johnson rushed for 561 yards and five touchdowns, caught 32 passes for 236 yards and two scores, and added 765 yards in kick returns.
All-American
Before the 2005 season, Thompson was fired by ECU and replaced by Skip Holtz.
The Pirates improved to 5-6 and Johnson continued piling up yardage including 1,040 combined rushing and receiving yards and eight total scores and 459 kick return yards.
In 2006, ECU went 7-6 including a 24-7 loss against South Florida in the PapaJohn’s.com Bowl.
Johnson had a down year as a rusher but was named first-team All-Conference USA as a kick returner with 482 yards and a touchdown.
Then, as a senior in 2007, Johnson finally broke loose.
As the Pirates won eight games, he carried the ball 236 times for 1,423 yards and a whopping 17 touchdowns.
CJ2K. CHRIS JOHNSON – EAST CAROLINA pic.twitter.com/VFBk8AwfE7
— Navy Mike (@Mike_Fierce_) March 13, 2024
He added more career-highs with 37 catches for 528 yards and six touchdowns plus 1,009 kick return yards and another score and led the country in all-purpose yards.
During ECU’s 41-38 Hawaii Bowl victory over Boise State, Johnson set an FBS record with 408 all-purpose yards while also scoring twice and was named the contest’s MVP.
More accolades followed including Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Year, first-team All-C-USA and first-team All-American, the first such designation by an ECU player since 1999.
While playing for the Pirates, Johnson had totals of 2,982 rushing yards and 32 touchdowns, 125 receptions for 1,296 yards and 10 touchdowns, and 2,715 kick return yards and two kick return scores.
Completed his career ranked third on the ECU all-time rushing list. Voted MVP of the 2007 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl. As a senior, he led the nation in all-purpose yardage. One of the only two ECU first round NFL draft picks, taken 24th overall by the Titans.
Chris Johnson 💯 pic.twitter.com/ynrJgEoR7i
— East Carolina Pirates (@ECUAthletics) February 28, 2022
He also set school records for receptions and receiving yards by a running back and Johnson still leads the program in several categories.
In 2018, he was inducted into the ECU Athletics Hall of Fame.
Johnson’s 40 Time Wows the NFL
In the months following Johnson’s big day against Boise State, NFL teams were trying to figure out how he could fit with their respective clubs.
He was a solid player at ECU, but Johnson really only had one good year as the Pirates’ primary running threat.
Therefore, most scouting departments had him pegged as a second or third-round candidate.
Then, at the NFL’s Scouting Combine in February 2008, the speedy back from East Carolina lined up for the 40-yard dash.
By the time he crossed the finish line, everyone in attendance knew they had witnessed something special.
Sure enough, when his official time of 4.24 seconds was confirmed, Johnson immediately jumped to a first-round dark horse player.
He set the standard. @ChrisJohnson28’s 4.24 40-yard dash in 2008. #TBT
📺: Watch #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork (March 1-4) pic.twitter.com/hadHx6YRXz
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) February 28, 2019
His mark in the 40 tied a Combine record set in 1999 by Rondel Menendez, a wideout from Eastern Kentucky.
Menendez had bounced around the NFL for two years before washing out.
However, Johnson was seen as a different prospect because of his receiving and kick return abilities.
“We were like, ‘Who is this guy? Is this guy for real?'” said then-Tennessee Titans defensive backs coach Chuck Cecil. “We were just captivated by the fact that the kid could run inside, and then you saw the speed outside. I watch 300, 400 games every year. When you put him on, this guy is different. Nobody’s seen a guy like that since Barry Sanders. I actually played against Barry. I was at Green Bay when he was at Detroit, so I know firsthand. These kind of guys don’t come along every year.”
Selected by Tennessee
When draft day arrived, the Titans selected Johnson with the 24th overall pick in the draft.
#OTD in 2008 the Titans select running back Chris Johnson with the 24th pick in the NFL Draft pic.twitter.com/f4YKdISFXz
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) April 27, 2023
He was then placed in a talented running back room with veteran LenDale White and started 14 games.
In Week 7, Johnson displayed the talent that would soon become the norm when he torched the Kansas City Chiefs for 168 yards and a score in a 34-10 victory.
As the season progressed, the rookie only picked up more steam and the Titans ended the year with a 13-3 record.
Johnson was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team and to his first Pro Bowl on the strength of 1,228 yards and nine touchdowns along with 43 catches for another touchdown.
Tennessee met the Baltimore Ravens in the divisional round and Johnson scored his first playoff touchdown on an eight-yard run in the first quarter.
Baltimore proved to be just a little better that day and came away with a 13-10 win.
Welcome to the Club!
The Titans were very pleased about Johnson’s rookie year and got a great return on their investment.
Before we had Derrick Henry…Chris Johnson was HIM @Titans pic.twitter.com/Wesvz7W7h5
— Barstool Music City (@BS_MusicCity) August 4, 2022
However, absolutely no one expected what would happen next.
One year after the franchise won 13 games, Tennessee started 2009 like an expansion team, losing its first six games.
During that same span, Johnson was quietly putting together a great season.
When the Titans returned from their bye after Week 6, Johnson ran all over the Jacksonville Jaguars for 228 yards and two scores in a 30-13 thumping.
More big days followed and soon the sports world realized that the second-year player was nearing a monumental rushing milestone.
In November alone, Johnson had 968 yards rushing (an NFL record) and he also had three rushing scores of 85 yards or more.
Chris Johnson started his career off with 6-straight 1000-yard seasons. He went for 2,000 with 500 through the air in year freaking TWO!
A special special football player and the definition of a homerun threat every time he touched the ball. 🏃🏾♂️💨 pic.twitter.com/7zkrQ1Jwb2
— Ray G (@RayGQue) July 16, 2021
After closing the year with 134 yards and two touchdowns against Seattle in Week 17, Johnson officially became just the sixth member of the exclusive 2,000-yard club with 2,006 yards on 358 attempts and averaging 125.4 yards per game, all tops in the league.
He also snagged 50 passes for 503 yards and two more touchdowns, putting his total yardage at 2,509 and setting a new league record for a single season.
Not only was Johnson the NFL’s rushing champ, he was also named a first-team All-Pro, NFL Offensive Player of the Year and chosen for his second Pro Bowl.
Unfortunately, Tennessee didn’t take advantage of his stellar season and finished 2009 at 8-8.
Consistent Production
With a career year in the books, Johnson gained instant fame and a new nickname, “CJ2K.”
“It’s crazy because that’s not even an actual nickname that I came up with. I think NFL Network or whatever, somebody started calling me that and they just kept rolling with it, going with it or whatever. Yeah, it was amazing,” Johnson said in 2022.
Not one to rest on his laurels, the back promised even bigger totals in 2010, going so far as to suggest he could reach 2,500 yards.
“My biggest fear is failure,” Johnson said in September 2010. “And I don’t want anybody to say last year was a fluke season or anything like that. I just want to be consistent. I feel like guys can come and they can have a really good week, really good games, a couple of good games or whatever. But that don’t mean they’re the best at what they do. Basically, I want to be the best. I say I’m the best, and I want to back up everything I say.”
His head coach at the time, Jeff Fisher, confirmed that Johnson’s lofty goals would help the Titans.
“He has high expectations,” Fisher said. “It’s not a selfish ‘me’ thing. He knows if he reaches a milestone, the team has success. He’s not counting right now. The only number he has in mind right now is one, one win, and we’ve got to get to the next one.”
Although he didn’t get anywhere close to his proposed amount, Johnson wrapped 2010 with 1,364 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground.
Prime Chris Johnson was CRAZY 🔥 #Titans #TitanUp pic.twitter.com/PSfrTKcLcs
— Locker (@PlayLockerLive) August 1, 2024
Those stats brought a third Pro Bowl nod.
Tennessee then entered 2011 with a new head coach, Mike Munchak, and the organization improved from six to nine wins.
Johnson had 1,047 yards that year and 1,243 yards and six touchdowns in 2012 when the Titans won six times.
In 2013, the running back had a sixth consecutive season of over 1,000 yards when he finished with 1,077 yards and 10 total scores, including a career-best four touchdowns receiving.
New York and Arizona
Tennessee’s 7-9 mark in 2013 got Munchak fired and Ken Whisenhunt hired.
BREAKING: The Titans are releasing RB Chris Johnson today. In 5 seasons with Tennessee he's rushed for 7,965 yards. pic.twitter.com/L12WGtY1m7
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) April 4, 2014
However, Johnson didn’t get a chance to work with the new coach as he was released by the franchise in April, 2014.
“I’d like to thank all of my teammates, the fans, the staff and the coaches who have supported me throughout my journey with the Titans,” the running back said. “I have grown so much as an individual and as a teammate over the past few years, and I am excited about the opportunity to bring my experience and talents to a new organization. I’m looking forward to the next chapter and can’t wait to contribute to my new team.”
His dismissal by the franchise that drafted him ate at Johnson for several years.
“If anybody had called me upstairs or talked to my agent, it was certain things we could’ve talked about or discussed or figured it out because I wanted to play for Tennessee my whole entire career,” Johnson said in 2024. “I think that was a big business thing that I had to learn in my career.”
Four months later, the New York Jets inked Johnson to a three-year deal for $9 million per year.
CJ2K + AZ (via @Rapsheet): http://t.co/22M3oQaHn1 pic.twitter.com/CvtWsiRQax
— NFL (@NFL) August 17, 2015
Head coach Rex Ryan’s crew limped through a 4-12 season as Johnson started only six games and rushed for 663 yards and two combined touchdowns.
In February of 2015, the Jets released Johnson and he was signed by the Arizona Cardinals to a one-year deal in August.
That season, Johnson was re-born while playing in the desert under head coach Bruce Arians.
While splitting time with rookie David Johnson, Chris Johnson played in 11 games during an injury-shortened season and had 814 yards and three touchdowns.
Arizona won 13 times and advanced to the NFC Championship game before losing to the Carolina Panthers.
Last Gasp
Johnson’s resurgence in 2015 got him noticed by several teams.
“I still want to get the best deal, but at the same time, I want to be somewhere where we have a chance to win,” Johnson said on SiriusXM. “I feel like Arizona is the best place for me right now.”
His Cardinals teammates, like quarterback Carson Palmer, also wanted Johnson back.
“He’s still got it, I’ll tell you that,” Palmer said. “That defense notices it. Every defense we’ve lined up against knows when he’s in the backfield and when he’s not. Just a great player.”
Following weeks of negotiations, Johnson re-signed with the Cards for 2016.
“How about Chris Johnson, though? He went into the time machine and came back looking like CJ2K.”
– @JamesDKoh pic.twitter.com/PY9A58OBnj
— NFL Fantasy Football (@NFLFantasy) September 30, 2015
David Johnson would end up becoming the talk of the town as he became Arizona’s new lead back and ran for 1,239 yards and 16 touchdowns, both career-bests.
His coming-out party shelved Chris Johnson for most of the season (he also missed time with a groin injury) resulting in a career-worst 95 yards and one score.
Instead of playing elsewhere, Johnson returned to the desert again in 2017.
“Most of all I still get to play football,” he said before training camp. “It was something I always dreamed of doing. I always had the goal of playing 10 years in this league. That’s the main thing for me.”
Retirement
His 10th year in the NFL led to three starts, 114 yards and zero touchdowns.
When the season ended, so did Johnson’s career.
He retired officially in November 2018 and briefly signed a one-day contract with Tennessee on April 24, 2019 to retire as a Titan.
Chris Johnson is officially a Titan forever!@ChrisJohnson28 | #CJ2K pic.twitter.com/y8ZhdZHtOh
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) April 24, 2019
Even then, Johnson felt he could still run fast and be a starter in the league.
“I feel like if I trained the right way, I’d still be in the 4.2s,” Johnson said. “I know for sure I’d get 1,000 yards if I laced them up,” Johnson said. “Shoot, that’s not even a question. You put me in an offense where I’m the starting back, there’s no way I wouldn’t get 1,000 yards. I could still do it, but it’s time to move on to the next situation.”
During his career, Johnson had 9,651 yards and 55 touchdowns rushing and 307 receptions for 2,255 yards and nine touchdowns receiving.
He was a three-time Pro Bowler, one-time All-Pro, PFWA All-Rookie Team member, NFL Offensive Player of the Year once, and the league’s rushing yards leader once.
Former Titans RB Chris Johnson (@ChrisJohnson28 ) Officially Retires from NFL
📰 » https://t.co/x6FBvOWbvJ pic.twitter.com/GZxYdLPWEM
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) November 5, 2018
As a running back, Johnson set numerous NFL records including being the only player to score touchdowns of 50, 60 and 90 yards in a single game.
He’s also the only player with six rushing touchdowns of over 80 yards in his career.
Johnson has since been placed in the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame.
In 2020, Titans running back Derrick Henry rushed for 2,027 yards.
That made Henry and Johnson the first 2,000-yard Club members to reach the mark while playing for the same franchise.
Future as a Pro Scout?
Since retiring, Johnson has used his spare time to complete his degree in Communications from East Carolina in 2020.
Early in 2024, he was one of 20 former NFL players that attended a three-day boot camp for prospective scouts.
Johnson used the outing to see if scouting was in his future.
“Going through the classes and doing the different stuff that they do will put me at a point and let me know if this is something I really want to do,” Johnson said.
Although he is one of only two, 2,000-yard Club members (along with Terrell Davis) to not reach 10,000 career yards, Johnson holds out hope to one day be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Chris Johnson (CJ2k) is criminally underrated.
The 2009 Player of the Year
3x Pro Bowler | 1x All-Pro
1 of 8 2,000 yd rushers
1 of 1 2,500 all purpose yds
6 straight seasons of 1,000+ rush yds
5 seasons of 40+ receptionsQuit sleeping! Hall of Famer. #TitanUp pic.twitter.com/afbhIvactn
— Amateur Sports Takes (@AmateurFBTakes) September 7, 2024
In 2017, Davis was inducted into the Hall despite only totaling 7,607 career yards.
“I feel like I put in the work. I feel like I’ve done the things in order to be in, so it’s kind of like a sit and wait game,” remarked Johnson in 2022. “I was talking to (Hall of Famer) Andre Reed, and to even be considered, to even be able to make the list, because there’s so many guys that have retired, semi retired, and at Year 5, they’re unsure if they’re up for it. But just to be amongst the guys that made the list is an accomplishment in itself.”
References
https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/chris-johnson-1.html
https://syndication.bleacherreport.com
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/J/JohnCh04.htm
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