Rudi Johnson
Football running back
| Date of Birth | : | 01 October, 1979 |
| Date of Death | : | 23 September, 2025 (Aged 45) |
| Place of Birth | : | Ettrick, Virginia, United States |
| Profession | : | American Football Player |
| Nationality | : | American |
Burudi Ali Johnson (বুরুদি আলী জনসন) was an American professional football player who was a running back for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL draft.
Johnson was selected to the Pro Bowl with the Bengals in 2004 after leading the team in rushing. He employed a bruising style of hard-nosed running that earned him the nickname the "Auburn Rambler."
Early life
Johnson was born in Petersburg, Virginia, approximately 30 miles south of Richmond, on October 1, 1979. His first name, "Burudi," is Swahili and means "cool'" and his middle name "Ali" represents his family's respect and admiration for Muhammad Ali. He began playing football at the age of six with the Ettrick Trojans of the Chesterfield Quarterback League. During his high school career, he played on both offense and defense for the Thomas Dale Knights under head coach Victor Williams, following in the footsteps of Ken Oxendine and William Henderson. During his career, he broke the school's rushing record which was held by his friend, mentor and coach, Henry Jefferson.
After graduation, he enrolled at Butler Community College in El Dorado, Kansas.
College career
Butler Community College
Johnson played for two years at Butler Community College. He helped lead Butler to two national championships, defeating Ricks College in 1998 and Dixie College in 1999. His most memorable performance came against Dixie College in the championship game in which he ran for 375 yards and scored seven touchdowns. He was subsequently named NJCAA "Player of the Year". Johnson was subsequently inducted into the NJCAA Hall of Fame.
Auburn
At Auburn University, Johnson finished his career with 324 rushing attempts for 1,567 yards (4.84 yards per rush average). His 324 rushing attempts was a school single-season record and his 1,567 rushing yards were the second-most in school history. He had ten games in which he rushed for 100 yards or more. He was named SEC player of the year and nominated for the Doak Walker Award, which was won by LaDainian Tomlinson. He was a sociology major. His fullback was Heath Evans, who would later go onto the NFL as well. NFL running back Ronnie Brown was also a teammate.
Death
Johnson died in Florida on September 23, 2025, at the age of 45. According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office, "all indications are leading to suicide", with no suspicion of foul play.
Quotes
Total 0 Quotes
Quotes not found.