[9] In 2000, Johnson transferred to Oregon State University, after being aggressively recruited by coach Dennis Erickson to play for the OSU team.

[10][11] Alongside future Bengals teammate T. J. Houshmandzadeh,[12] he led his team to an 11–1 season and a 41–9 victory over Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl that year.

On November 2, 2005, Marvin Lewis, the Bengals' head coach, replaced Johnson's list with another one titled, Did 85 do everything he could to lead his team to victory 11-6-05.

[34] Johnson earned nationwide attention for his flamboyant attitude, which was often seen during his infamous end zone celebrations after catching touchdown passes.

[37] This gave Johnson a career total of 7,229 receiving yards, breaking the Bengals' franchise record previously held by Isaac Curtis.

[39] In the fourth quarter of the Bengals' week-nine loss to the Buffalo Bills, Johnson was rolled off the field on a stretcher, with a reported head injury.

This gave Johnson over 1,000 receiving yards for the sixth consecutive season, and moved him past Carl Pickens as the Bengals all-time leader in receptions.

Due to injury, however, Patriots' receiver Randy Moss was forced to withdraw from the Pro Bowl, and Johnson was selected as his replacement.

During the interview, he addressed how the media and team treated him during the 2007 season, saying, "I was labeled selfish and a cancer, and it hurt...Fingers were pointed at me this year.

[42] On February 4, ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported that Johnson felt betrayed by Lewis and was privately threatening to sit out the 2008 season, though his agent Drew Rosenhaus denied it.

[46] Lewis stated he had not spoken to Johnson since the last regular season game, and reiterated his lack of interest in a trade.

After several weeks of silence, in April, Johnson again announced he wanted to be traded, and caused a rift with teammates by refusing to attend off-season workout programs and practices.

[47][48][49] Nine days before the opening of the Bengals' mandatory minicamp on June 12, Johnson told ESPN The Magazine that "of course I (will be)" attending,[50] confirmed by his agent.

[52] He suffered a partially torn labrum in the first preseason game on August 17, but decided to play the entire season with the injury.

Following a dismal performance (three receptions for 43 yards) against the Dallas Cowboys in a loss, Johnson had consecutive games with 50-yard receiving totals (57 against the New York Giants and 52 against the Pittsburgh Steelers).

[57] Before the start of the 2009 season, the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants expressed interest in Johnson if he were to be placed on the market after he missed voluntary team offseason workouts.

On January 15, Johnson was announced as a Pro Bowl selection to replace Patriots receiver Wes Welker, who was injured in the final week of the regular season.

[61] It was Johnson's sixth Pro Bowl selection, tying Lemar Parrish for the second highest total in franchise history.

[62] In doing so, he tied the franchise record for touchdown catches (which he later surpassed) and became the sixth player in NFL history to amass 10,000 receiving yards with one team.

The following week, Johnson became the 30th player in NFL history to surpass 700 career receptions, catching four passes for 44 yards in a 15–10 win.

[70] The meeting in which head coach Joe Philbin notified Johnson of his release from the Dolphins was shown in the episode of HBO's Hard Knocks that originally aired on August 14.

Fellow NFL wide receivers Terrell Owens and Bernard Berrian were occasionally featured on the show, advising Johnson throughout the process.

[88] Due to the 2011 NFL Lockout, on March 16, 2011, Ochocinco announced he would have a four-day trial for Sporting Kansas City of Major League Soccer.

[93] On March 12, 2019, Johnson re-signed with Boca Raton FC for the 2019 Spring UPSL season after the team joined the United Premier Soccer League.

[103] Ochocinco appeared naked, outside of a strategically placed football, in PETA's "Ink Not Mink" ad campaign, which encourages people to choose tattoos over wearing animal fur.

In June 2007, he footraced against a Thoroughbred racehorse over a furlong (220 yards / 200 meters) for charity; Johnson, given a 110-yard (100 m) head start, beat the horse by twelve lengths.

[131] On July 23, 2012, after Ochocinco's move to the Miami Dolphins, he legally changed his name back to Chad Johnson at a Broward County courthouse because he "wanted to reconnect with his former self.

[141] On September 21, 2012, Johnson entered a plea of no contest to misdemeanor domestic battery, avoiding jail time in an agreement with prosecutors and Lozada.

[146] Although a plea deal that called for no jail time was reached, Judge Kathleen McHugh rejected it after Johnson playfully slapped his male attorney on the buttocks in court.

In addition to the jail sentence, his probation was extended for three months through December and he was required to perform 25 hours of community service and to undergo two counseling sessions per week.