It was 2009 when one of the more comical NFL collisions took place.
Chad Ochocinco Johnson, then a star wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals, attempted an ill-advised block on Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens.
Johnson might as well have run into a brick wall as he crumpled to the ground before the image went viral across NFL fandom.
Now, Johnson told another former NFL great, Shannon Sharpe, that an errant shoelace and the laws of physics came into play in that noteworthy confrontation.
Ray Lewis got lucky Ocho tripped on his shoelace 💯@ochocinco @ShannonSharpe @ShayShayMedia_ pic.twitter.com/fyjaevLSK6
— Nightcap (@NightcapShow_) June 16, 2024
Johnson revealed that “people always laugh at me about that little clip,” but they are missing the complete story.
The former receiver explained that, just before making contact with the formidable Lewis, he tripped over his own shoelace.
Johnson told Sharpe that, due to the laws of physics and gravity, “the low man wins” these violent collisions such as the one he experienced in the Bengals’ end zone.
Stumbling over his shoelace, Johnson explained, meant that he lost his trajectory.
Instead of being able to hit Lewis with his full force, the errant shoelace caused Johnson to “raise up a little bit” and lose whatever advantage he brought to the moment of impact.
He revealed, “I had no leverage to stop the force that was him coming at me.”
Sharpe was not swayed by Johnson’s account of the incident, declaring that the wide receiver simply “ain’t got enough bricks in your back pocket.”
The former Raven countered that Johnson ran into Lewis, “and that man dropped you.”
