'Auburn Rambler' Rudi Johnson Passes Away at 45

Rudi Johnson was only with the Auburn Tigers for one season but established himself as one of the program's all-time greats in that lone season.

Former Auburn Tigers running back Rudi Johnson spent eight seasons in the NFL. | Tom Szczerbowski-Imagn Images

The Auburn Tigers are mourning the loss of a former player.

Rudi Johnson, a running back for the Tigers and the SEC Player of the Year, has died, the team announced Tuesday. He was 45 years old.

TMZ reported Johnson died by suicide shortly after midnight on Tuesday.

We mourn the loss of 2000 SEC Player of the Year Rudi Johnson.

One of the best to ever wear the orange and blue.

Rudi's family, friends & teammates are in our prayers.#WarEagle🦅 pic.twitter.com/XpUV6tiAiF

— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) September 23, 2025

While he only spent one season on the Plains, Johnson solidified himself as one of the program's all-time greats.

After transferring from Butler Community College, where he won two national championships and where he was the NJCAA Player of the Year in 1999, Johnson joined the Tigers for Tommy Tuberville's second season leading the program ahead of the 2000 season.

In that one season, Johnson set a program record with 324 rushing attempts while rushing for 1,567 yards, the second-most in program history in a single-season. He was named SEC Player of the Year while he helped lead Auburn to an SEC West Division title.

His hard-nosed running style earned him the nickname the "Auburn Rambler."

After leaving Auburn, Johnson was selected in the Fourth Round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Cincinatti Bengals. In seven seasons with the franchise, he rushed for 5,742 yards, including three-straight 1,300-yard seasons from 2004-06, with 48 rushing touchdowns.

He spent his last season in the league in 2008 with the Detroit Lions, where he rushed for 237 yards and a touchdown.

Off the field, Johnson was known for his foundation, the Rudy Johnson Foundation. Established in 2005 with his mother, Janice, the foundation helped families and children in need, with Johnson wanting to "share his blessings with family and children in order to enhance and stabilize their lives and to support learning opportunities for children that may not have been possible otherwise."