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Chick Ludwig covers the Cincinnati Bengals. He also writes about his other passions: college football, basketball and golf.Home > Blogs > Chick Ludwig At Large > Archives > 2008 > September > 04 > Entry
Learnin’ to love Chad again
RAY-RAY TELLS CHAD:
‘PUT MIND ON GOD’
We know they’re as “thick as thieves;” as close as a razor blade on a face full of shaving creaM; as tight as Ludwig drums.
So it comes as no surprise that Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis has made a significant impact on the life of the Bengals wide receiver formerly known as Chad Johnson, who legally changed his name to Chad Javon Ocho Cinco.
Chad turned to Ray-Ray, who told him to turn to “God.”
Had Chad asked my advice, I could’ve saved him some cash on his phone bill.
All he had to do was go down a few lockers to tight end Reggie Kelly, who is the club’s resident “Prince in Gym Shoes.”
LUDWIG AT LARGE wants to know: Will you accept Chad back? Will we learn to — ahem — love “85” again?
Here’s a Q & A with Ray-Ray regarding Chad:
Q. Did you talk some sense into Chad?
A. Of course, whatever was personal, what he didn’t want to me to share, I won’t. But what I will share is that I just told him to put his mind on God. He should focus more on God and the true blessings you have to be a role model for so many kids, so many people who want to do what you do and can’t do what you do and don’t have the ability to do what you do. So I told him every time you step out on the football field, every time you step anywhere in life let the image of God be shown through you. Let that be your image, let that be your stepping stone. After that, life is going to bring you ups and downs. Life is going to bring you differences and after you’ve prayed about it, let them be. There’s certain things, don’t take everything to everybody, because everybody can’t handle everything that you feel sometimes, even good or bad. A lot of times I try to explain to people all the training I do, but sometimes you can’t. You can’t get it across to people. That was the same message I relayed to him and a couple of other guys around the league that were going through the same thing. I was like: Keep your peace. Let the business side of the business side take care of itself, but keep your peace and always stay who Chad is, and that’s just loving the game of football, and that, in a nutshell, is pretty much what I told him.
Q. What motivated you to give him a call?
A. There’s no one reason to give him the call, we always talk. It’s been three or four years since Chad’s been with Cincinnati we’ve had the same type of conversation. It’s like a father to children, sometimes you have to let them go off and do their own thing and just be there for him. That’s the same situation I have this time. We talk every other day. I try to keep him up in his Bible, keep him up in His Word, I send him scriptures just to try to pull him over every day, pull us through every day. Just like the calls I send out to many guys. They say, ‘Give me a word, talk to me or whatever.’ These are the things I try to reach out and give back to most of these guys.
Q. Have you turned into a mentor for other players?
A. Absolutely. You can’t shy away from it. That’s one of the things that even (Baltimore head coach) John Harbaugh’s father spoke about. He told a couple of different stories about why do you play this game? If you realize that I’ve only played this game for the respect, for the respect of your peers, for the respect of the people that you play with and things like that. That respect, coming from them knowing that I’m the person that’s been in this league for a long time and has excelled in so many different areas. I’ve been through down times in my life, I’ve been challenged in my life but I’ve found a way to trust God completely through it all and so if that’s my role as a man to relate God’s word and get the Word out there that you take everything to him and just live. If that’s my job, then I’m definitely excited about doing it.
Q. Has Chad taken your advice to heart?
A. Absolutely. Absolutely. And all you have to do is watch him. He’s Chad and that’s what I told him. Don’t stop being Chad. Be Chad. But when Chad has got something to say that Chad wants to say, keep it to Chad. Keep it to Chad and God and let everything else take care of itself. Don’t get into all of these war of words with whoever it is. I don’t care who it is. If it’s somebody out on the street that wants a war with you then, ‘OK, brother, you win. I’m good. I’ll smile.’ But these are the things that he has grabbed onto to say that life is life. Life is good. I can be a true role model to some people and show people what life is about and when you really challenge yourself to be great every day. For me, just his talent alone proves that he wants to be the best in this game. You can’t ever hate him for wanting to be the best in this game and wanting to win. A lot of times you get the bad side of people when those two things aren’t happening and Chad is one of those people.
Q. What do you think of Chad’s name change to Chad Javon Ocho Cinco?
A. I kind of knew about that before anybody ever thought about it. People do that all of the time. Didn’t John Wayne do that? Yeah. So some of the great ones have done that. I don’t think it’s a big issue. It’s publicized everywhere but it’s whatever it is. If that’s the way he feels he wants to be called then let him go by that. Muhammad Ali was one of the greatest ever and he did the same thing. So whatever belief he has just roll with it and deal with you as a man, deal with you and God and everything else will take care of itself.
Permalink | Comments (18) | Post your comment | Categories: Bengals
Comments
By L
September 4, 2008 12:36 PM | Link to this
I’m sick of him, Chick. No doubt he can make some spectacular catches but he does not come up with the big ones when it really matters. Remember last year when he didn’t know where he was on the field during a fourth-down play and he stepped out of bounds a few yards shy? That was the turning point for me. He complains about the Bengals culture of not winning (about which he is correct), but he seems to forget that he doesn’t come through when the team needs him.By JT
September 4, 2008 2:20 PM | Link to this
As a bengal fan, I want him to do well. But, he’s not as good as he thinks which for the most part is good way for a pro athlete to think. But, nobody wants to hear about it whent results don’t match the talk. Results equals more wins than losses…key third down catches to keep the other team off the field…downfield blocking. The problem is key third down grabs and downfield blocking don’t make the highlight reel but silly touchdown dances do. Chad is a stat guy and like many bengals doesn’t do the little/dirty things that equate to winning footballBy noodlin
September 4, 2008 2:27 PM | Link to this
Nice that Ray Ray has found God. Offing two people in an OJ like manner and facing prison and or the chair does that for some.By ray ray
September 4, 2008 2:41 PM | Link to this
Those two poor bums wanted to be with God. That’s why they were stabbed to death.By VietVet
September 4, 2008 3:07 PM | Link to this
Chadly is an overpaid, pampered baby. Unload him and save yourselves some headaches. He’s a showboat that’s in it for himself. Too much attention is paid to him and this distracts from team preparation. This team needs all the help it can get to win and can still win without this moron.By Useless Information
September 4, 2008 3:39 PM | Link to this
Chad will wear an Ocho Cinco jersey on SUndayBy Nick
September 4, 2008 4:23 PM | Link to this
Ray sure does sound like a convicted murdered who finally found GOD after he realized that murder is grounds for going to hell. What do you guys thing? Does he sound like a death row inmate or what?By Link
September 4, 2008 6:07 PM | Link to this
Nick, was Ray Lewis convicted of murder? Noodlin, I believe both Ray Lewis and O.J. were found not guilty in a court of law! If you would like to talk about murderers, let’s talk about the thousands of blacks murdered in this country that went unpunished. Before you call someone a murderer, check your family tree!By firewife
September 4, 2008 6:46 PM | Link to this
It’s sad that you have a player like chad who could be something great if he only exercised self control on and off the field. He puts so much into making a show for everyone to see, How about making a show on the field and putting faith back into his performance.By noodlin
September 4, 2008 7:01 PM | Link to this
Just checked the tree. No one is hangin in itBy psychostats
September 4, 2008 9:24 PM | Link to this
Bengals fans owe a debt of gratitude to Ray Lewis. Ultra-stubborn Mike Brown would not have traded Chad under any circumstances this year. And an obstinate 85 would have left us, the fans, with nothing. So thank you, Ray, and while you’re at it, could you have a little talk with a few more of our guys? There’s Chris Henry, Jonathan Joseph, Jason Shirley, Maurice Purify, Frostee Rucker, Reagan Maui’a…By Log Cabin John
September 5, 2008 6:43 AM | Link to this
The guy’s a jerk — only interested in personal notoriety. He will never learn how to put his team first. Talent? Yes! Football smarts and personal discipline? Never gonna happen!By Disgusted with Professional Sports
September 5, 2008 6:54 AM | Link to this
When will society ignore players like Chad Johnson, Randy Moss and TO and shun players like Chris Henry? Only then will we remove the stipulation from our society that tells our young people you can do whatever you like, even kill your wife and boyfreind (OJ reference) if you can carry a football, dribble a basketball, etc. In repsonse to the “finding god” part. Really enough with the religion anyway, that stuff’s all a bunch of made up crap to control the masses. I can’t believe people still buy that crap. Even if there is a god, he probably certainly doesn’t care about football, let alone Chad Johnson or whatever stupid name he wants to call himself. He makes me sick. I hope they boo him everytime he steps on the field.By Yippee
September 5, 2008 8:00 AM | Link to this
Chad Ocho Cinco is one of the most talented receivers in the NFL. Watch how fast Bengals fans “learn to love him” again IF the Bengals start winning and he puts up good numbers.By Mike
September 5, 2008 9:46 AM | Link to this
Hey, this is professional sports we’re talking about here. If Chad Johnson helped put the Bengals in the Super Bowl, he could stand down on Fountain Square at noon-time biting the heads off kittens and fans would somehow find a way to rationalize his behavior. When people’s teams are consistent losers, fans will blame anything and everything. It doesn’t have to be rational or truthful. They just need someone to blame. So if they win, Chad gets grace. If they lose, he will get large portions of blame. That’s just how it is. It ain’t rocket science. Winning cures a myriad of ills.By pg
September 5, 2008 9:46 AM | Link to this
Chad even dropped the ball on his new name! Ocho Cinco is 8&5 not 85. HAHABy uncoolio
September 5, 2008 11:39 AM | Link to this
Fans love Cj—its the media, radio, newspaper idiots that dislike CJ. They have persuaded others that he is a bad guy. He plays hard, at the top of the NFL every year. He’s the closest thing we have a Hall of famer—so quit playing the game chick and the rest of your media idiots can kiss my and CJ’s a*s.By DS
September 5, 2008 5:39 PM | Link to this
Whoever said Chad is an overpaid brat is correct. He has never said ” you can’t beat the Bengals”, its always, “You can’t beat 85”. There’s no team in Chad. He needs to get on out to hollywood and get his own show. Just him, no co-star, he couldn’t stand that.