Rudi Johnson ’01

October 1, 1979 — September 23, 2025

Burudi Ali “Rudi” Johnson, a star running back at Auburn and eight-year NFL veteran, passed away on September 23. He was 45 years old.

A native of Petersburg, Va., Johnson started playing football at the age of six. Playing offense and defense while at Thomas Dale High School, he broke the school’s rushing record and in early 2025 was inducted into the Chesterfield County, Virginia, Sports Hall of Fame.

Johnson spent two years at Butler Community College of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), where he helped Butler win back-to-back national titles in 1998 and 1999. In the 1999 championship game against Dixie College, he ran for 375 yards and scored seven touchdowns, for which he was named NJCAA Player of the Year. He also was eventually inducted into the NJCAA Hall of Fame.

After joining Auburn, Johnson was voted the 2000 SEC Player of the Year after gaining 1,567 yards and scoring 13 touchdowns. Auburn won every home game that year and posted a 9-4 record. His 324 rushing attempts set a school single-season record, and his 1,567 rushing yards that season remains fourth-best in Auburn history.

The Cincinnati Bengals took Johnson with the 100th overall pick in the 2001 NFL Draft. He spent seven seasons with the Bengals from 2001 to 2007 and became a critical part of their offense, rushing for more than 1,000 yards in 2004, 2005 and 2006.

Johnson was selected to the 2004 Pro Bowl after running for 1,454 yards and scoring 12 touchdowns. In 2005 he helped the Bengals win the AFC North Division title and achieve their first winning season since 1990.

That same year he established the Rudi Johnson Foundation in Ettrick, Va., to enhance and stabilize the lives of families in the community, and to support learning opportunities for children.

Johnson played his final NFL season with the Detroit Lions in 2008 and retired with 5,979 career rushing yards and 49 touchdowns.

“Rudi was a fine person and an excellent running back for us,” said Bengals president Mike Brown in a statement. “He was dependable and productive as a player, and very popular among his teammates. Everyone liked him and saw him as a dear friend. We are deeply saddened by his passing.”

By Derek Herscovici ’14