You may know him as C.J. Gardner-Johnson or as “Ceedy Ducey,” as he prefers to be called. A native of Florida that went on to attend the University of Florida, he was drafted as a safety by the New Orleans Saints in 2019. He has gone on to change his name several times, moving on from his original moniker, Chauncey Gardner Jr. Just before his junior year in Florida, he added Johnson in recognition of his stepfather.
Johnson is renowned for the unabashed way he goes at defenders, and not necessarily just when the play is going on. His penchant for trash talk led to his involvement in an altercation in 2021 where punches flew from the opposing wide receiver.
All eyes on him
More name changes followed in 2022 and again in 2023. Ducey is a take-off on “Duce,” a nickname a coach gave him. “Two” is also the number on the back of his jersey. He changed it from the number #23 he used to don when he was a part of the Philadelphia Eagles secondary. It is another tell-tale representation of his new identity as “Duce.” His explanation is that his “alter ego” is involved, “People call me Ceedy on the football field or Ducey. In life, they call me C.J. or Chauncey.”
His nemesis, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel, just calls him “mad.” “(Gardner-Johnson) just sound like he’s mad. I got a little bag and a lot of money and no one knows who he is,” Samuel posted on his social media. Never one to be outdone, Gardner-Johnson came back with very strong words of his own: “… I can guard you. You can’t run routes. You’re a running back. I ain’t gonna sit here and play with you, little boy. Just because you got a little bag, people give you a little clout, and then you ain’t nothing, bro.” Gardner-Johnson takes it directly to rivals like Samuel, not only on social media, but also where it counts most, on the field.
Throughout the Buccaneers’ previous game on Wild Card Weekend against their opponent, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Bucs were very aggressive, boasting a 68% blitz rate. That was more than any other team on Wild Card weekend. Yet, when they traveled to Detroit to face Gardner-Johnson’s Lions, it was the Lions that were the more aggressive team, and they reaped the benefits.
After intercepting Mayfield’s 3rd and 17 pass, Mayfield chased the play and got there at the tail-end, just as Gardner-Johnson was pushed out of bounds. Johnson continued to chew up yards after he intercepted the ball and managed to cross midfield before he was pushed out of bounds at the Tampa Bay 41. Mayfield met him out of bounds as Johnson was chasing the play. On his way back toward the field, he saw Baker Mayfield and tossed the ball back to him in the most audacious manner – characteristic of CJ. It’s a can’t-miss-play.
His competitive edge
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After the play and the ensuing loss, fans took to social media to rip Evans for tipping that pass in the air. Johnson himself makes ample use of social media. In the fall of 2023, he said on X: “All this tough guy stuff gotta stop lol… if refs gone warn me before games bout this ima start stepping on necks sorry.”
Johnson knows about instigating retaliation off of his actions. As a Saint, the team that drafted him in the fourth round, he put his pointer finger inside Chicago Bears wide receiver Anthony Miller’s face mask in a regular season game. Additionally, he tore wide receiver Javon Wims’ mouthguard straight out of his mouth. Wims landed two punches on Johnson as he was standing in position to prepare for the next play.
His rivals
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Johnson routinely trolled Deebo, when he was wearing number 23 as a safety for the Eagles. That time around, it was Johnson’s team that got the better of the match-up with the San Francisco 49ers. And they did so on their way to the Super Bowl. On his X account, he tweeted that when it comes to Deebo, it’s all playacting; in other words it’s all on the surface when “he act hard.” Love “Ducey” or hate him, it’s the energy and spirit behind those comments that creates the momentum his team needs when heading into a contest against a team that’s stacked with Pro Bowlers on offense.
Johnson has three interceptions since returning from injured reserve in week 18. He recovered from his injured pectoral muscle and is eager to land some hits on the 49ers slew of playmakers, particularly Deebo Samuel.
Gardner-Johnson was part of the Eagles team that eliminated the 49ers from the playoffs, preventing them from making a return trip to the Super Bowl, beating them handily, by a convincing 31-7 margin. He has championship experience to compete with Deebo Samuel’s own Super Bowl experience from his days as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles team that went up against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Lions’ fans felt the energy that Johnson set off with his early interception. That momentum carried to the 4th quarter when Tampa Bay’s last hope for a comeback would again be thwarted by an interception, this time by D Barnes.
After a 66-year road playoff drought, the Lions beat the Bucs 31-23 and then led in the NFC championship game. While his team had the lead, Gardner-Johnson could be seen waving goodbye to the hometown 49ers fans. Then the 49ers stormed back to win, proving that they were not finished. “Ceedee Ducey” Gardner-Johnson is not done either. We have yet to witness more feats on the football field carried out by this Florida native.