Tuesday, February 10, 2004

Johnson told QB he would score TD


WR thrives in Pro Bowl

By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Chad Johnson made quite a first impression in his initial Pro Bowl.

The Bengals wide receiver scored on a 90-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter from Tennessee quarterback Steve McNair.

"I told Steve in the locker room that I would run a high angle on the first play and that we would score a touchdown," Johnson said after arriving in Los Angeles on Monday.

The touchdown, which came with 12:40 remaining in the first quarter, was the second longest reception in Pro Bowl history. Johnson's 156 receiving yards are second most in a single game, behind Randy Moss' 212 in 2000.

Johnson is the first Bengals player to score an offensive touchdown in a Pro Bowl.

"I told you I would do it," he said.

Johnson and Bengals right tackle Willie Anderson both started for the AFC, which lost 55-52 to the NFC in the highest scoring Pro Bowl game.

Anderson, making his first Pro Bowl appearance after being a first alternate the past two years, played most of the game.

Said Johnson, "It was a lot of fun, except the last 10 minutes. There was no laughing or fooling around. The best thing was trying to represent the Bengals. That's what it was about, representing the organization and the city."

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E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com



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