Rudi Johnson's heartfelt message before his untimely death at 45 is a symbol of hope and gratitude. Check details

Rudi Johnson, the former Cincinnati Bengals running back, has died at the age of 45. The death of Rudi Johnson was confirmed by his family to TMZ Sports. He passed away earlier this week and a family source said he had been struggling with mental health issues and possible effects of CTE.

Rudi Johnson had tried hard to fight these problems but could not overcome them. His family said he always cared about helping people both on and off the field.

What was Rudi Johnson's final message?

Just days before his death, Johnson appeared by video at a ceremony celebrating his induction into the Chesterfield Sports Hall of Fame. He went to high school in that county. His last message was an uplifting one.


Rudi Johnson shared a message of hope and gratitude days before his untimely death. Johnson, 45, recorded a video message that was played as part of his induction into the Chesterfield Hall of Fame earlier this month.

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"I just want to say dream big, shoot for the stars, stay focused, never give up," Johnson said in the recorded message. "And one more thing to all the kids from Chesterfield County, I'll be watching for the next star to be born." Johnson, 45, recorded a video message that was played as part of his induction into the Chesterfield Hall of Fame earlier this month.

"I just want to say dream big, shoot for the stars, stay focused, never give up," Johnson said in the recorded message. "And one more thing to all the kids from Chesterfield County, I'll be watching for the next star to be born."

In the two-minute video, Johnson reminisced about his time growing up in Chesterfield County and playing under inspirational coaches for both the Ettrick Trojans youth football team and Thomas Dale High School Knights.

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"I cherished every moment of it," he said about his time playing football in Chesterfield County. "It was all worth it. All of the relationships that were built along the way."

On September 23, only five days later, his tragic cause of death was released after news broke that Johnson was dead at the age of 45. Police told TMZ that Johnson “died by suicide in Florida just after midnight on Tuesday” September 23.

Rudi Johnson's cause of death

Rudi Johnson, a three-time 1,000-yard rusher who holds multiple Cincinnati Bengals records — died, apparently by suicide. The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of Johnson, 45, though "no foul play [is] suspected," it said in a statement. “All indications are leading to suicide," Detective Joseph Peguero told NBC News.

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Thomas Dale's football program shared a post on Facebook in Johnson's memory, saying in part:

"Rudi was a strong family man who loved all that he met, especially his family. He was a great son, a great husband, a great father and brother. At this time, let’s just all come together in prayer and show our support to the Johnson family."

Johnson's cause of death was not immediately known though multiple reports suggest he had been struggling with mental health issues and possible effects of CTE.