Former NFL running back Rudi Johnson died Tuesday at age 45, TMZ Sports reported Tuesday. He played seven seasons with the Bengals and one with the Detroit Lions before retiring after the 2008 campaign. Johnson was named SEC Player of the Year in 2000 after leading the conference with 1,567 rushing yards in 12 games during his single season with Auburn. Johnson retired having played 95 NFL games with 63 career starts, amassing a total of 5,979 rushing yards that ranks today as 110th on the league's all-time leaderboard. His mother, Janice Johnson, said she was inspired by him to launch the Rudi Johnson Foundation in 2005.