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Chad Johnson was in attendance during the Cincinnati Bengals’ 2023 Week 3 game against the Los Angeles Rams. His appearance might have energized Ja’Marr Chase, who ended the game with 12 receptions for 141 yards. More importantly, the Bengals got their first win of the season.
More than a decade ago, Johnson was in Chase’s place, fielding balls for yards and touchdowns from Andy Dalton. He had an 11-season career with the Bengals and the New England Patriots. While he’s had a successful NFL career, did he have another interesting profession before entering the league?
Chad Johnson worked as an exotic dancer
Johnson himself admitted that he used to be a stripper who had the stage name Twix. He did it in 1997 as a student at Santa Monica College, a public community school that was a 50-minute drive from Los Angeles.
He said:
“I used to str*p at the Right Track. I used to be a dancer. I could tell y’all because we family. 1997, I was in L.A. My mom was out there, but I really couldn’t live with my mama, so I had my own little place whatnot in Santa Monica, and sometimes I was short.”
“I was short on my light bill, and candles light them up. … If anyone in this chat is from LA that’s a little older, I used to str*p at the Right Track. But I used to make about $2,500 to $3,000 a night. Sometimes, the night be slow. Sometimes, I can’t go to work because I got football practice.”
The Right Track is a male exotic club at Florence Avenue in Los Angeles. It does have a Facebook page, but it was last updated in 2012.
As Johnson is a first-hand source of this information, his story could be true. Providing evidence of his stripper work would solidify his claim, but are incriminating photos or videos needed for this claim?
Chad Johnson does know what he’s talking about because he mentioned that the big women give substantial tips:
“You know, having $2,500 to $3,000 back in 1997 as a little kid. You know how much money that is?
"I was making a killing boy. I was the original Chippendale. My stage name was Twix, tell you no lie, because I was skinny and had all the veins popping out, so I look just like a Twix.”
Chad Johnson went from catching tips to catching footballs
Johnson transferred to Oregon State after three years at Santa Monica. He ended his only season for the Beavers with 37 catches for 886 yards and eight touchdowns.
These numbers led the Cincinnati Bengals to select him in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft.
The rest is history. While Chad Johnson is widely known for his touchdown celebrations, there was a time when he was the NFL’s best wide receiver. He was a Second Team All-Pro member in 2003 and a First Team All-Pro from 2004 to 2006. Johnson also made it to six Pro Bowl squads.
He ended his NFL career with 783 receptions for 11,167 yards and 67 touchdowns (playoffs included) with the Bengals and the New England Patriots.
Spotrac estimates he earned $48.8 million during his playing days. With a net worth of $15 million as of 2023, he doesn’t have to resort to being an exotic dancer anymore.
