Chad ‘Ochocinco’ Johnson has once again opened up about the unusual method he used to stay mostly injury-free during his NFL career: using urine to treat his injuries.
The former wide receiver first mentioned his unconventional approach to healing injuries back in 2016, but at the time, many assumed he was joking. However, years later, Johnson has confirmed that he genuinely used both his own urine and that of his teammates to stay off the injured list throughout his football career.
Johnson initially spoke about this odd practice eight years ago, stating that he would “collect warm urine from my teammates, heat it up, and put my ankle in it for 30 minutes” as a treatment for ankle sprains.
Last week, Johnson reaffirmed the bizarre story during an appearance on the ‘7PM in Brooklyn’ podcast, where he detailed the lengths he went to in order to secure the necessary amount of urine for his treatments.
“Yeah, that worked,” Johnson said, acknowledging the effectiveness of his method. He explained how he managed to collect urine from his teammates, noting that it took a coordinated effort to get enough at one time. “You got team meetings in the morning, right? So, I’d say, ‘Everybody, hey y’all, do me a favor. My ankle’s kind of messed up, so I need y’all to all drink water at the same time. So, when we break from the meeting, if y’all pee, there’s a bucket in the bathroom.’ Boom. Y’all all pee in that bucket for me.”
Despite the rather unorthodox request, Johnson’s teammates seemingly had no issues with contributing to his recovery efforts. It’s a testament to the camaraderie and willingness of his fellow players to help out one of the NFL’s best wide receivers of his era.
Johnson spent 11 seasons in the league, with 10 of those years as a key player for the Cincinnati Bengals, and he earned a reputation as one of the most dynamic receivers of the 2000s.
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The method Johnson used was certainly far from anything a medical professional or an NFL team doctor would recommend. Instead, it relied on sheer creativity, a sense of humor, and the willingness to try just about anything to stay on the field.
His decade-long tenure with the Bengals was marked by stellar performances and an ability to remain relatively healthy despite the physical toll of the game.
Johnson also played one season for the New England Patriots, although his role was limited on a roster that was one of the most dominant teams in football at the time. It remains unclear whether Johnson used his infamous urine treatment during his time in New England or when he made the jump to the Canadian Football League to play for the Montreal Alouettes.
Since retiring from professional football, Chad Johnson has stayed active in the sports world, maintaining his presence as a media personality and podcast host.
He currently co-hosts ‘Nightcap’ alongside fellow NFL legend Shannon Sharpe, where the two provide their unfiltered takes on current events in sports.
Johnson’s candid and often humorous storytelling continues to captivate fans, and his willingness to share quirky stories from his playing days only adds to his enduring appeal.
While Johnson’s method may not find its way into any official playbook on injury prevention, it’s another example of his larger-than-life personality and his relentless drive to succeed in the NFL—even if it meant resorting to some very unconventional means.
