Remembering Rudi Johnson: 'One of the best teammates I ever had'

AUBURN, Ala. – Rudi Johnson made the 2000 football season one to remember for himself, his teammates and for Auburn. 

Johnson, who passed away Sept. 23, a week before his 46th birthday, led the Tigers to the Western Division title while earning SEC Player of the Year honors. 

“He was so unselfish,” remembered Ben Leard, Auburn’s quarterback in 2000. “He always gave accolades to his offensive line, his receivers and to the defense.”

Arriving on the Plains in January after one of the most dominant junior college performances in history, Johnson quickly earned Auburn’s starting running back job, needing only 11 carries to gain 98 yards on A-Day, a preview of coming attractions. 

“We knew he was going to be special,” Leard said. “We knew he was going to be a guy who could absolutely win us a lot of ballgames.” 

At 5-10, 228 pounds, the durable Johnson combined toughness between the tackles, breakaway speed and a penchant for yards after contact.

“A once-in-a-lifetime player,” remembered Tommy Tuberville, Auburn’s head coach from 1999-2008. “Great player, great person. He was hard-nosed. His work ethic was excellent.”

Johnson set a program record by reaching the 100-yard mark in 10 of Auburn’s 13 games, including a dazzling debut in which he ran for 174 yards and three touchdowns in the season opener against Wyoming. 

Rudi’s SEC premiere the following week was equally electrifying: 29 carries, 165 yards and two touchdowns in a road win at Ole Miss. Johnson ran for more than 100 yards in each of his first five Auburn games and 10 of the first 11.  

“They would try to tackle him and his yards after contact were awesome,” said Eddie Gran, Johnson’s position coach at Auburn. “They would try to tackle him low and he could keep going. It really was amazing how strong he was.”

Against Louisiana Tech, Johnson exploded for 249 yards and four touchdowns. Three weeks later in the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry, he rushed 34 times for 152 yards. It would’ve been 35 carries, but true to his character, Johnson shared the spotlight.

After Georgia kicked an overtime field goal to lead 26-23, Johnson converted on third down to give Auburn first-and-goal inside the Bulldogs’ 1-yard line.

“Everybody in the stadium knows who’s getting the football,” recalled Leard, a Georgia native, of an inside zone run Auburn referred to as Pro Right 32. “We’re getting ready to break the sideline huddle and Rudi says, ‘Stop. I know what this game means to Ben. Let him run quarterback sneak and win this game.’”

Leard’s touchdown secured Auburn’s 29-26 victory.

“I could almost cry,” Leard reflected a quarter century later. “He was so selfless. He knew how much winning that ball game would mean to me. I still have that game ball. That’s the kind of guy he was.” 

Rudi saved his sturdiest performance for when it was needed most, during Auburn’s first trip to Tuscaloosa’s Bryant-Denny Stadium. 

On Nov. 18, 2000, Johnson carried a season-high 37 times for 145 yards, helping the Tigers shut out Alabama 9-0 in the Iron Bowl to finish with a 6-2 record in SEC games. 

He finished his lone Auburn season with 13 touchdowns and 1,567 rushing yards on 324 attempts, an average of 4.8 yards per carry, finishing 10th in the Heisman Trophy voting.  

“Had he stayed, not gone to the NFL and had the same year after being the SEC MVP his first year, he probably would’ve been the Heisman Trophy winner,” Tuberville said. “Every day he came to practice with a smile on his face. He was fun to be around.”

A heavy workload was nothing new for Rudi. 

At Butler County Community College in Kansas, Johnson led his team to consecutive national championships in 1998 and 1999. In his juco finale, Johnson carried 40 times for 375 yards and seven touchdowns in Butler’s 49-35 win over Dixie College.

“It was incredible,” recalled Gran, who attended the game in St. George, Utah. “He was so humble. It was never about him. He always gave credit to everybody else. He was very coachable. Such a great person.”

Johnson’s junior college quarterback, Daniel Cobb, first attracted Auburn’s attention. The Tigers ended up landing a package deal.

“I kept watching this running back run up and down the field,” Tuberville said. “He knew he had a future and being able to help his family in the NFL. He never missed a practice, never missed a game.”

Johnson continued to excel in the NFL, playing seven of his eight seasons in Cincinnati after the Bengals selected him in fourth round in 2001. 

“It was always somebody else’s achievement before it was his,” Leard said. “He carried that all the way through the league. He was that way on and off the field. He didn’t want the limelight on him. He wanted it to be on his team.”

After two years as a backup, Johnson produced four consecutive stellar seasons in Cincinnati, including three straight (2004-06) with 12 touchdowns and more than 1,300 yards.

“Rudi was always the same guy,” said former Auburn standout Takeo Spikes, Johnson’s teammate in Cincinnati during Rudi’s first two seasons. “He refused to let the current situation make him into someone he wasn’t. He was great at making light of a situation even though it was a serious matter.”

Johson retired after the 2008 season with 5,979 career rushing yards and 49 touchdowns. 

“Of all the team sports I played throughout my life,” said Leard, “he is one of, if not the best, teammates I ever had.”

Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on X: @jeff_shearer