The recent death of former NFL player Kevin Johnson has sparked significant search interest, with over 100,000 searches recorded. Multiple verified news sources have reported that Johnson was found dead in a homeless encampment in Los Angeles. This tragic situation has drawn attention to both Johnson’s life and the circumstances surrounding his untimely death.
The reports highlight that Johnson, a former defensive lineman for the Eagles and Raiders, was discovered in a location that raised concerns about his living conditions. The nature of his death has prompted an investigation, further fueling public curiosity. The combination of his professional background and the circumstances of his death have likely contributed to a surge in searches as individuals seek more information.
Additionally, the juxtaposition of a former professional athlete found in such a dire situation underscores broader societal issues, potentially leading to increased interest and searches for news updates. As the investigation unfolds and more details emerge, public engagement with the story is expected to continue, keeping Kevin Johnson in the spotlight.
Watch the Moment
Internet Reacts
M
“The community is going to miss him.” It’s a shame the community didn’t miss him while he was still alive, when it could have mattered.
B
Big Stephen Bonnar vibes. The dude helped make the UFC a household name by being in the finale of The Ultimate Fighter’s first season. He didn’t win, but both fighters got contracts due to how great their performances were (traditionally only the winner gets the contract). He stayed on for a while before retiring, then disappeared until he showed up, clearly having some type of episode outside a hospital, and then died at the age of 45 from a fentanyl overdose combined with heart issues. The whole community was all up in arms, but the fact he was able to slip that far is telling to how these athletes who put their bodies through the wringer are really not taken care of.
S
Isn’t there another former UFC guy who’s basically doing the same thing? Clearly on drugs or schizo/bipolar, constantly posting videos asking for help?
B
BJ Penn. He was something of a legend for a while in his prime, won multiple belts. Now he’s claiming his mom has been replaced by the government or something and people are worried he’s going to kill her. There’s also tons of videos of him getting knocked out in bar fights since leaving the UFC. I think he’s recently acknowledged that he needs help, hopefully he gets it.
L
More than “something of a legend,” imo. Truly one of the all-time greats. I think this is recognized by most, though the way he jumped promotions and weight classes kind of obscures how amazing he was.
N
I saw him jump out of a pool once.
H
He was amazing through raw talent but never had the work ethic to reach his full potential. Part of why he was so inconsistent.
B
BJ Penn? Maybe the tail end of his career but he was a champion at two different weight classes.
J
Isn’t there only one video of him getting KO’d in a bar fight? If there’s “tons” of videos this is news to me.
B
Yeah definitely some hyperbole at work there, that’s my bad, but I do think it’s more than once. Either that or I’ve seen the same event from different angles.
F
I’m from Hawaii and even the police are afraid of dealing with him. There’s a certain vibe that he’s had even before he went off the deep end that is unique to Hawaii and I’m sorry that I can’t put it into words. But, basically it says, “stay clear of me or you may regret it.” Having a bunch of sycophants in his corner all these years did not help.
W
What about that ufc reality show guy who was dating the pornstar and beat her within an inch of her life?
B
Yup War Machine
B
BJ Penn, comes from a wealthy family
H
Just goes to show money really doesn’t matter. The government can replace a wealthy family with alien drone androids just as easily as a poor family.
S
Penn is down and out? Really?
S
Has been for a long time unfortunately He believes his family has been replaced with impostors pretending to be his real family
0
Brain damage is way more damaging than most realize. Albeit this could also be some sort of hard drugs but I bet the initial damage isn’t helping.
R
Shocked by how far I had to scroll for a mention of brain damage. And sure it could be drugs, but self medication is pretty common in situations with major brain damage.
T
Capgras syndrome. Happens w mental illnesses and brain injuries
B
Sounds like Capgras syndrome
C
[Unfortunately, that seems to be the case.](https://www.reddit.com/r/MMA/s/YdkwVNXNU6) You’re likely as shocked as I am. Sorry we have to have this moment of recognition for a lost soul.
D
Damn, I used to watch the UFC more as a teen and Penn was a favorite. That’s so sad.
O
That could also be referring to Jason ‘Mayhem’ Miller. He had a really rough patch there for awhile but seems to be on the up and up.
T
>how these athletes who put their bodies through the wringer are really not taken care of. No, it just shows how poor the social safety net is for any of us. If athletes can fall that far/hard, then so can everyone else. We should be pushing for everyone not to be taken care of, not just for athletes to get special treatment that others couldn’t hope to have.
B
The point is that he had access to a lot more than most people, he had more resources, but due to the nature of his career (brain damage, CTE, painkillers), he wasn’t able to manage his own life properly.
T
Again, athletes aren’t special and shouldn’t be treated special. Plenty of blue collar folks also deal with injuries at work that require painkillers, etc. If an NFL player who earned millions of dollar or a UFC fighter can end up homeless and/or dead then so can any of us. We should want better for everyone. Not just athletes.
B
I’m not calling for anyone to have special treatment. I’m not making a claim about how things should be. I said “these athletes are not being taken care of,” and for some reason you think I’m saying “athletes should be taken care of more than everyone else.” I never said that. I’m literally just making an observation.
V
Not wrong but I do think it’s funny to mention that “traditionally only the winner gets the contract” when it was literally the 1st season and there was no tradition yet. Man I miss those first few TUF years. “I just wanna bang bro!”
B
Well, that was the plan going in, and iirc there hasn’t been any other season where both finalists won a contract. But yeah, they broke ‘tradition’ on the first one lol
D
Wow. I had no idea that happened to him. I remember him seeing him on and off after the Ultimate Fighter for a few years. So sad.
R
oh man I stopped following MMA closely a while ago (doesn’t hit the same as back in the day) and I had no idea, what a shame, one of the OGs
R
I think the the community being referenced is the homeless community.
N
I assumed the quote was regarding the homeless community he was in missing him, and in response to your comment I was like, they probably didn’t miss him because he was there… (laughing at my misunderstanding so just sharing that) But yeah in all seriousness its almost insensitive to say given the context. Better would be they’d “remember him fondly” or something.
R
I totally agree that people dismiss problems and are selfish, wanting to just keep them out of sight and out of mind. The harsh reality though is not everyone can be helped. It doesn’t mean we don’t try and throw all the resources we can at giving that person the help they need. At some point though they either can heal or they cannot.
P
While this is true, people always say this whenever America’s homeless/mental health crisis problems gets brought up, and the reality is that it’s a totally moot point, because the majority of those people CAN be helped. We’re just choosing not to help them. Just because some of them can’t be helped, doesn’t mean that trying to help them all wouldn’t be effective.
P
It can be very hard to reach people who end up homeless because of addiction or mental health problems regardless of community or family support.
T
I think the community he was talking about was the homeless encampment
N
The NFL should honestly have a mandatory pension. 5% of salary goes in and then you’re paid out when retired. Linemen especially have shorter careers and then their brain is just done for life
G
Its really worth watching a recent video, [the great concussion denial by hydn.](https://youtu.be/lhORHNcwa-M?si=sNiR8HQBS__1wHP8) The story that killed me was that of Mike Webster. As the center for the Steeler, Webster helped lead the team to four superbowl wins in six years and nine division championships. He was so fucked up that he had to tase himself to sleep. He superglued his teeth back in his mouth when they fell out. He was homeless and slept in his truck behind a discount supermarket. He wandered around the Pitt not knowing where he is and could be found sleeping in Amtrack stations where people would step over the man who helped lead the city’s team to their golden era. When his family asked for disability pay because he had lost his mind, the NFL refused because it would mean they were admitting liability. When he died and had an autopsy done on his brain, he had so much CTE it looked like the brain of an 80 year old with Alzheimers. The NFL would fight against the idea of football causing CTE until 2016, more than a decade after Websters death. Still, they do shit like not diagnose the Dolphins quarterback with a concussion despite him not being able to walk on his own. At the end of the day, they don’t give a single fucking shit about the people who make them their money because they can’t POSSIBLY lose any of their dragons horde.
B
If the NFL and the NCAA melt down, I won’t shed a single tear.
D
That’s sad. I think the NFL needs to do more for these guys. But I gotta ask, what is “the Pitt” lol
S
They do get pensions, but they pay out during “retirement” years. So you need to live to 55 to see it
H
You also have to play like 7 years or something to get them when most careers fizzle after 3. Edit: it appears that its down to three playing seasons now which reflects the career, but seems to bee 10k/year played which isn’t a lot without other income unless you make it past 6 or 7 seasons.
D
Seems like NFL has the worst union deal of NFL/NBA/MLB how did it get like that?
D
Three or four times more players than the other sports. Short careers make a lengthy strike extremely impactful to the players at the time, possibly losing 10-60% of their career salary. This would make a strike difficult to sustain.
G
Actual reason – NFL players lost their strike, only major US sport where that happened.
Y
Oligarch owners don’t give a fuck about players?
G
Owners give 50% of the money to the players. The Players Union decides these things, and it is the current players who vote for it.
E
The reason their union is weak is because of the length of playing careers and disparity between highly paid guys and low paid guys. Some players quite literally cannot afford a lockout. You have 3 years to make 6 million dollars. If the players force a lockout they pretty much kiss away 33% of their earning potential. Edit: and this number of players makes up the majority of the nfl.
Additional Sources:
inquirer.com – Former Eagles defensive lineman Kevin Johnson found dead at homeless encampment
nbclosangeles.com – Former NFL lineman Kevin Johnson found dead at LA homeless encampment
