Former NFL Star Chad Johnson Is Every Dad in 'Tough Love' Text to Daughter on His 2.2 GPA

I’ve always loved Chad Johnson (or as he once expected the world to address him, Chad Ochocinco). Okay, so he was a little sloppy on the gridiron as a Cincinnati Bengal wide receiver and seemed to be having a little too much fun — when he should have been catching footballs. But he did manage to stick around in the National Football League for a decade, which is nothing to sneeze at.

🐅 pic.twitter.com/RN0IsOuxSs

— Chad Johnson (@ochocinco) April 24, 2021

Regardless of his (lack of) play inside the now long-razed Riverfront Stadium along the Ohio River, Chad’s always come across as a genuinely good human being. As Larry Brown Sports reported in 2020, he once left a generous tip at a restaurant, because his party stayed after closing time.

Johnson ended up leaving a $1,300 tip. He shared a verse from Proverbs 11:25, which says “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.”

Clearly, he’s a Christian and an exception to the stereotype, in a sea of arrogant, high-dollar celebrity athletes like LeBron James and others who think their you-know-what doesn’t stink. That they are your betters, morally and otherwise.

And I’ll admit I retain a certain fondness for him, as Chad’s son, Chad Johnson II, is currently a Sun Devil at Tempe’s Arizona State University (watch Junior work his own magic in the wide receiver slot in the linked, Facebook video post).

Anyway, on Saturday, in a tweet that has since trended on the social media site, Chad Johnson Senior shared a learning moment in a private, text conversation, in which he masterfully showed one of his other progeny some ‘tough love’ — in a situation every dad (and mom) can relate to: when your kid wants something desperately from the store, but they expect the Bank of Mom and Dad to take care of it.

He began the post:

“Parenting 101: kids don’t understand the sacrifices it takes”

Parenting 101: kids don’t understand the sacrifices it takes 🤬 pic.twitter.com/cjFIXA9l1d

— Chad Johnson (@ochocinco) April 24, 2021

Then came the “talk” with his teenage daughter, which she initiated:

“Daddy[?]”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Let me know when you go to Token Miami to get more shoes. Imma come with you, cause I wanna get these Yeezys [designer shoes] that they have.”

“You said you were getting a job. I worked at McDonald’s by Edison to attain extra stuff I wanted in high school.”

“When I finish school, I’m getting one. How Imma get a job and I have school & track practice to attend throughout the day [?]”

His answer to her was perfect:

“I caught the bus to school then went to football practice, caught the bus to McDonald’s for a 6-hour shift — all while maintaining a 2.2 GPA & being a star athlete.”

Way to go, dad!

MSN’s Yardbarker sports news vertical reports that the dude is still a nice guy, based on this story Saturday titled “Chad Johnson paid a fan $1,000 to drive him to Starbucks”:

Early Saturday morning, Johnson tweeted that he was in Jacksonville and would pay anyone $1,000 for a round trip to and from Starbucks. There did not appear to be any strings attached.

[….]

Less than an hour later, the longtime NFL wide receiver posted a picture of himself in a car with a Twitter user who had responded to his plea.

The fan, Joey McAvoy, shared on Twitter that his hero “was ‘real chill’ and told the Starbucks barista that he loved them,” Yardbarker wrote. He had more to say, and QTed both Chad’s photo of them hanging out and one of his own: