Charles Johnson, Super Bowl champion wide receiver, dies aged 50

Charles Johnson, the steady wide receiver who played nine seasons in the NFL and won a Super Bowl with the New England Patriots near the end of his career, has died aged 50.

Johnson’s death in Wake Forest, North Carolina, where he worked as the assistant athletic director at Heritage High School, was first reported by local TV outlet CBS 17, which added the cause of death is unknown.

The California native was drafted by the Steelers in the first round of the 1994 NFL draft following a standout collegiate career at the University of Colorado and played five seasons with perennial AFC power. That run included Pittsburgh’s run to Super Bowl XXX during the 1995 season, though Johnson was sidelined throughout the postseason due to injury.

The next year, Johnson recorded a career-high 1,008 receiving yards, which ranks 16th all-time among Pittsburgh receivers. He also scored a touchdown during the team’s 1997 playoff run.

Johnson then played two years with the Philadelphia Eagles before signing with the Patriots, where he won the Super Bowl during his first and only season with the team. He then played one more year with the Buffalo Bills before retiring in 2002.

For his nine-year career, Johnson caught 354 passes for 4,606 yards and 24 touchdowns, starting in 87 of his 133 games played.

At Heritage High, Johnson helped assemble a coaching staff filled with NFL experience, including head coach Dewayne Washington (a former Steelers cornerback), assistant coach Willie Parker (a former Steelers running back) and assistant coach Torry Holt (the famed St Louis Rams wide receiver).