Long before Howie Roseman passed on Justin Jefferson for Jalen Reagor, they picked a Pac 10 star from UCLA over several big-named prospects, including a future Bengals legend.
The Bengals drafted Chad Johnson in the second round of the 2001 NFL draft out of Oregon State.
Johnson finished his career with 766 catches for 11,059 yards and 67 touchdown catches, clearly outdoing Freddie Mitchell, who the Eagles selected at No. 25 overall in the first round.
Johnson was in Allentown for DeVonta Smith’s celebrity softball game and gave a unique reason for why he should have been in Philadelphia during his career.
Here's former Bengals WR Chad Ochocinco on his feelings about Philadelphia and the fans (NSFW language included) pic.twitter.com/ElmNeWYyj8
— Chris Franklin (@cfranklinnews) June 10, 2023
“I don’t know how to explain it,” Ochocinco said Saturday via Chris Franklin of NJ.com. “I like how they call people d**** and s***. There is no fanbase like this. They f*** beat up Santa. Who does that? I fell in love with the city, hearing the stories in the couple of months training with Boots. I wished I would have been able to play here.”
The incident, also called The Santa Claus Game, took place during the 1968 season against the visiting Minnesota Vikings.
With the Eagles sitting at 2–11 on the season. Tied 7–7 at halftime, fans pelted Santa Claus with snowballs.
The incident played a massive part in Philadelphia and the fanbase’s developed reputation over the decades.
