Former Cincinnati Bengals star running back Rudi Johnson died at the age of 45 after committing suicide early this morning, according to police reports obtained by media outlet TMZ.
According to TMZ, Johnson had been “struggling with mental health issues and the possible effects of CTE that he could not overcome.”
The Bengals drafted Johnson in the fourth round with the No. 100 overall pick in the 2001 NFL Draft.
Johnson played seven of his eight years with the Bengals, appearing in 81 games with the franchise and starting 59.
Johnson had three straight years in which he rushed for at least, 1,300 yards and 12 exact touchdowns from 2004-06, earning his lone Pro Bowl bid in 2004.
He rushed for 1,454 yards that year, just four yards short of his career-high set the following season.
He had 5,979 rushing yards and 49 rushing touchdowns in his career, while adding 676 receiving yards and two receiving scores spanning 95 games.
Johnson was also a star player at Auburn University, rushing for 1,567 yards and 13 touchdowns, trailing only Tigers legend Bo Jackson at the time in terms of rushing yards in one season.
A Johnson family source told TMZ that Johnson spent his last days helping those around him, and Johnson previously established the Rudi Johnson Foundation in 2005.
“Mr. Johnson wanted to share his blessings with family and children in order to enhance ans (sic) stabilize their lives and to support learning opportunities for children that may not have been possible otherwise,” stated an article from mmhmf.org about Johnson’s mother, Janice.