On Sunday, former NFL running Duke Johnson Jr. announced his retirement from the league. Johnson spent eight seasons in the league after being selected in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft out of Miami (FL).
Johnson came into the NFL with quite an impressive resume, as he was the Hurricanes all-time leading rusher. That is an impressive feat when considering some of the elite talents who played there collegiately, such as Ottis Anderson, Edgerrin James, Clinton Portis and Frank Gore.
While Duke Johnson Jr. didn’t break out in the NFL as some may have expected, he still carved out a solid professional career. He appeared in 97 games over eight seasons with 21 starts, playing with four different franchises.
Johnson spent the first four seasons of his career with the Cleveland Browns before playing two seasons with the Houston Texans. He followed that up with one season with the Miami Dolphins and one with the Buffalo Bills, his last, in 2022.
“8 Years 4 teams with 1 goal in mind, create a better life for my family,” he posted to Instagram. “I never dreamed of being the all time leading rusher of my dream school or being somewhere on the list of all time players to come out of South FL. I just wanted an opportunity to play a game to provide a better life for my family and I was able to do just that. I want to thank each team for giving me the chance to play and represent your organization and all the fans that supported me through the highs and lows.”
He added: “Last but DEFINITELY NOT LEAST, I want to thank my GOD for allowing me to take this journey and end it in the same health I started it in. With that being said I’m officially retiring from the NFL. I hope I left a greater impression on y’all that’s bigger than football.” (H/T ESPN)
In his career, Duke Johnson Jr. carried the ball 532 times for 2,265 yards with 11 touchdowns. He was a true dual-threat coming out of the backfield, known for prowess as a pass protector and receiver. For his career, he caught 311 passes for 2,870 yards and 12 more scores.
Collegiately with Miami, his 3,519 rushing yards are still the most in program history. He produced at a higher clip with the Hurricanes than he did in the NFL, as he never received an extended chance to be the guy in a backfield as a pro.
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