Former Patriots wide receiver Charles Johnson dead at 50
BOSTON -- Former NFL wide receiver Charles Johnson, who won a Super Bowl with the New England Patriots, has died. Johnson was 50 years old.
Johnson had been working as an assistant athletic director at Heritage High School in North Carolina, which sent out a Tweet about his passing on Tuesday.
"RIP Coach," the Tweet read. "You will be missed by so many, especially your Husky Family."
Johnson was drafted 17th overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1994 NFL Draft and went on to play nine seasons in the NFL. He suited up for the Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles, Patriots, and Buffalo Bills, racking up 354 catches for 4,606 yards and 24 touchdowns for his career.
His best season came in 1998 when Johnson caught a career-high 65 passes and seven touchdowns. He also had a 1,000-receiving yard season for Pittsburgh in 1996.
Johnson joined the Patriots for the 2001 season and caught 14 passes for 111 yards and a touchdown. His lone score with the Patriots came in a 34-17 win over the New Orleans Saints, when Johnson hauled in a 24-yard touchdown from Tom Brady just before halftime of the game.
He had two receptions for 22 yards in New England's playoff run, and was part of the team that upset the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI.
