Former NFL player Rudi Johnson has passed away at the age of 45.
While, his cause of death has not been confirmed, but according to his family, he had been dealing with mental health struggle and possible effects of CTE, TMZ reported.
CTE is a brain disease caused by repeated head trauma which he struggled to manage.
Former Cincinnati Bengals running back began playing football at the age of six with the Ettrick Trojans of the Chesterfield Quarterback League.
Johnson, who was born in Petersburg, Virginia was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft.
Before playing professionally, Johnson was a standout player at Auburn University, where he was named SEC Player of the Year once.
After being drafted by Bengals, Johnson had limited opportunities but in his third season he became a key player, running for nearly 1,000 yards and scoring nine touchdowns.
After starting his NFL career, he established a foundation dedicated to supporting children and families through various community programs.
Johnson’s final season in the NFL was in 2008 with the Detroit Lions.
He finished his professional career with 5,979 rushing yards and 49 rushing touchdowns.
