Chad Johnson sure is starting off on the wrong foot.
The former NFL wide receiver revealed last week on Twitter he would try out for the XFL this Monday in Houston. In an interesting twist, Johnson was to try out as a kicker, perhaps in the hopes of someday making it back to the NFL at a position different than the one he spent 11 seasons playing at the highest level.
Johnson’s unique journey came to a screeching halt, though, as multiple people familiar with the situation told ESPN’s Kevin Seifert the 42-year-old did not participate in Monday’s kicker tryout as scheduled.
A source confirmed to Seifert that Johnson was set to be evaluated alongside a number of other potential kickers Monday, but the ex-NFL wideout informed the XFL on Sunday that he had decided against participating. It’s unclear at this point why Johnson pulled out, as he had not commented publicly on the decision as of Tuesday afternoon.
Johnson, popularly known as “Ochocinco,” earned six Pro Bowl selections in his NFL career, which began with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2001 and ended with the New England Patriots after the 2011 season. He totaled seven 1,000-yard campaigns with Cincinnati before winding down his career with a lone lackluster season in New England.
Johnson, a soccer enthusiast, once converted an extra-point attempt for the Bengals during the 2009 preseason, so his apparent desire to kick in the XFL wasn’t totally out of the blue. It just appears he wasn’t too serious about the endeavor, because as they say, showing up is half the battle.
Then again, in Johnson’s defense, he’s coming off a big week in which he took part in the buildup to Conor McGregor’s victory over Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone at UFC 246 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
