Kenyan Ways Entice NFL Start Johnson
DAILY NATION
Kenyan ways entice NFL star Johnson
Story by PHILIP MWANIKI
Publication Date: 2007/04/08
Last month,
Local showbiz industry
Obviously, nobody realised who the visitor was or what he does but after his visit, they knew him as the “tall man who promised us shoes” and Johnson did not seem to mind bearing in mind that American Football is not a hit in
But he would have made more impact in the local showbiz industry if he came to the country with his best friend, Arsenal captain Thierry Henry.
Soon after he returned home, the most visible player for the Bengals was quoted saying; “There’s no bathrooms. There’s no food. There’s no deodorant. There’s no water. Nobody can take a shower. There’s nothing. It’s sad. It’s like a (disaster). It’s horrible...
“There was the smell and the mud, but it was mostly the kids. They’ve got clothes but they’re two or three years old and they wear it every day. None of it fits. The shirts are too big,” he said. “And if they do have shoes, they’re not the right size. They have to cut out the toes.’”
He hopes to help by donating the kids shoes from Reebok and sending them shirts, shorts and socks.
“I am in talks with Reebok who also sponsor me and I will come back in June and donate them,” Johnson said.
Families in need
Johnson decided to spend part of his offseason vacation in Nairobi at the invitation of Feed The Children, an international non-profit organisation that provides aid and assistance to children and families in need across the globe, and to watch the kids play soccer, he couldn’t help joining in.
“That’s all they know. You should have seen how happy they were when I dropped off all those soccer balls,” Johnson said. “They were running so fast and I was getting stuck in the mud and I was wearing shoes.
His trip to
He also saw some pretty amazing stuff according to his club’s website bengals.com. The most recognisable
“I look to my right and there’s got to be hundreds of zebras and gazelles and you know the lions have to be right there somewhere,” Johnson said. “And I look to my left and, man, there’s a dude about 50, 60 yards away from all those animals not even looking and just starting a fire with a stick to cook something. “I mean, it’s just amazing. I told the chief of the village I want to come back and live like them for a week. They need to know a month in advance and they’ll build my hut.”
Johnson filmed it all and he says he’s got a stack of tapes. Robert Bailey, one of his representatives, plans to get them edited and turned into a film.
According to Bengals.com, he may have a sequel sooner than later after talking to the village chief. Johnson was taken to the bush when an 18-year-old lad greeted him wearing a lion’s mane on his head.
“I asked him how he got it and, hey, he had to kill a lion,” Johnson says. “I’m telling you, after we’re done working out (in the spring), I’m going back there to live like them. It’s amazing what they can do with nothing.”
Chad Johnson was born on January 9, 1978 in Miami, Florida and joined the Bengals in 2001 after being drafted from Oregon State University in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. Johnson attended
On April 20, 2006, Johnson signed a contract extension. The deal, which pays Johnson an additional $35.5 million (Sh25 billion), will last up to 2011. During the first half of the 2006 Cincinnati Bengals season, Johnson saw little activity but that changed after he shaved his blonde Mohawk after losing a bet and changing his mentality.
Johnson accumulated 260 receiving yards and scored two touchdowns, which broke the previous Bengals record for most receiving yards in a game.
He went on to amass 190 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns in a 31-16 win over the New Orleans Saints in the following week. This gave him an NFL record 450 receiving yards in back-to-back games, breaking the previous record of 448 set by
Johnson finished the 2006 season with 87 receptions for a league leading 1,369 yards and seven touchdowns. He was the first
He, however, refuted claims that he was charged 5,000 dollars after he changed his name saying that he was just warned. On October 25, 2006, in honour of Hispanic Heritage Month, Johnson announced he would prefer to be called, “Ocho-Cinco” (“8-5” in Spanish).
During the October 29, 2006 game against the Atlanta Falcons, Johnson wore “Ocho Cinco” instead of “C. Johnson” on the back of his jersey during warm-ups. Quarterback Carson Palmer ripped the label off Johnson’s jersey to reveal the usual “C. Johnson”. According to ESPN, he was fined US$5,000 for the stunt (pending appeal).
