Bengals receiver makes playful vow
By Joe Starkey
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, September 21, 2006
CINCINNATI - Chad Johnson plans to make the Steelers pay for the knockout hit he absorbed last weekend.
"Somebody does have to pay for that," Johnson said, playfully, before Cincinnati Bengals practice Wednesday. "My jaw hurts. My stitches are bothering me. My head hurts. I couldn't find my way home that night. Somebody has to pay, so I think the person to pick, obviously, is the mouth of their team, and that would be (linebacker Joey) Porter.
"So, 'Joey, you're going to have to meet me at the 50-yard line, and we can get it on.' "
Johnson said he and Porter actually are friends. Asked if he agreed with Sports Illustrated's assertion that Porter is the most feared player in the NFL, Johnson laughed and said, "No, I'll take him any day."
Porter confirmed that he and Johnson are friends and have been for some time. Porter said he will call Johnson when he's in Miami during the offseason, and Johnson will call him when the brash Bengals receiver is in California.
"He's proven that he's a good player, and I think I've done the same thing, so the respect is there," Porter said yesterday. "But on game day, there can only be one winner."
The six green stitches in Johnson's chin -- they mesh nicely with his blonde Mohawk -- are evidence of the hellacious shot he took from Cleveland safety Brian Russell late in the fourth quarter Sunday.
The force of the blow sent Johnson's helmet flying and left him dazed to the point that he could not conduct post-game interviews.
He figured somebody was going to get him sooner or later.
"I've always been a target, because of what I'm doing now: talking trash," he said. "The hard part is trying to hit the target. I've always been able to avoid everything. I left myself vulnerable by jumping in the air, which is the only reason he was able to get that clean shot.
"If I was in his shoes, I would have taken that shot, too. I mean, it's not very often you get a chance to hit me. He has a great story he'll be able to tell his grandkids: 'I never was able to stop him, but I did get a chance to knock him out.' "
Johnson has only two touchdown catches in 11 games against the Steelers, including none in three games last season. He praised Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor last season but maintains it's never one man who covers him.
"I'm going to pick on their whole team," Johnson said.
Again this year, Johnson is keeping a checklist in his locker. On top is written, "Who's going to stop 85 in 2006?" A 'yes' box and a 'no' box are placed next to each team. This year, unlike in past years, Johnson is not singling out individual cornerbacks.
So far, Kansas City and Cleveland have received checks in the 'no' box. Johnson has 11 catches for 126 yards and a touchdown.
He hopes to unveil a new touchdown celebration Sunday.
"Let's see, Pittsburgh is the Steel City, right? It'll have something to do with the Steel City theme," he said. "It'll be interesting."
Somebody wondered if Terrible Towels would be involved. Some Bengals players used them to wipe their shoes after beating the Steelers at Heinz Field last season.
"No," Johnson said. "We'll probably save that for the second game."
Porter doesn't have a problem with Johnson's trash talk. That's not the case with the Bengals' other prominent wide receiver, T.J. Houshmandzadeh.
"T.J. says something slick, and you kind of want to get him because he's yapping as if he's tough or something," Porter said. "He was the first one to pull the towel out and wipe his shoe with our towel, so that set up a natural dislike for him anyway. It's always been a green light on him whenever we can. "
Sports writer Scott Brown contributed to this story.
Joe Starkey can be reached at
[email protected].
