Charles Johnson, former first-round Steelers draft pick, dies at 50
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Charles Johnson, the 17th overall pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1994 NFL Draft, has died. He was 50 years old.
The news was reported by CBS 17 in Wake Forest, North Carolina, where Johnson had been assistant athletic director at Heritage High School. The cause of Johnson's death is yet to be determined.
"CJ was a guy who never had a bad day," Chad Brown, a linebacker who played with Johnson in college at Colorado and in Pittsburgh, said Wednesday. "I think, obviously, when people pass, we always have a tendency to over-eulogize. But CJ was always a happy dude with an infectious smile, quick to laugh, just a fun guy to be around," Brown said while speaking to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Johnson finished his NFL career with 354 receptions, 4,606 yards, and 24 touchdowns, per Pro Football Reference. Additionally, Johnson also had a connection with former Steelers quarterback and college teammate, Kordell Stewart, with both Stewart and Johnson playing at Colorado and then together in Pittsburgh.
"CJ was always a quieter guy. Even outside of team activities or classes, he was kind of a homebody," Brown said. "The fact that I hadn't heard from CJ in a while was never a concern because that's just who he's always been. Very into his wife, his family, not on the autograph circuit or the group texts," Brown added.