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Ex-NFL Star Saves Fan from Eviction: 'God Is Our Refuge and Strength'

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It looks like J.J. Watt doesn’t have a monopoly on NFL players doing amazing things for ordinary people.

Former All-Pro wide receiver Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson posted an innocuous tweet Friday that soon led to one heck of a story.

“How’s everyone’s Friday going so far?”Johnson asked, a fairly standard way to engage with fans, maybe get some good jokes and share-able things for the internet to enjoy.

Until a fan named Chris in San Marcos, Texas, made mention of his plight: He was stuck for rent and facing eviction.

As recently as 2016, Johnson ran into trouble with his homeowners association and nearly had his house foreclosed upon as he was careening toward membership in the Broke Ex-Athletes’ Club alongside such luminaries as the NBA’s Antoine Walker and boxing’s Evander Holyfield.

So Johnson was quick to rush to the aid of a fan in trouble.

The former Cincinnati Bengals star sent him $1,500.07 via PayPal.

And Chris the fan, his prayers answered, set his sights a bit higher when giving thanks.

“‘God is our refuge and strength,'” he tweeted. “I owe this man my life.”

Related:
FBI Involved After Homes of Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes Are Targeted Hours Apart

Be honest: Have you done something kind for a stranger in need recently?

Deuteronomy 15:7-8 says, “If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be,” and Johnson certainly took that lesson to heart.

Of course, he also had a laugh about it, offering up a challenge to the landlord whose tenant he’d just helped.

Looks like the old wideout’s found a different kind of football to enjoy in video game form during his retirement.

Johnson then reinforced his message of solidarity with his fans as he tweeted a show of support.

It’s the small gestures that ring the loudest, and “Ochocinco” just dished out a pay-it-forward for the ages.

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Boston born and raised, Fox has been writing about sports since 2011. He covered ESPN Friday Night Fights shows for The Boxing Tribune before shifting focus and launching Pace and Space, the home of "Smart NBA Talk for Smart NBA Fans", in 2015. He can often be found advocating for various NBA teams to pack up and move to his adopted hometown of Seattle.
Boston born and raised, Fox has been writing about sports since 2011. He covered ESPN Friday Night Fights shows for The Boxing Tribune before shifting focus and launching Pace and Space, the home of "Smart NBA Talk for Smart NBA Fans", in 2015. He can often be found advocating for various NBA teams to pack up and move to his adopted hometown of Seattle.
Birthplace
Boston, Massachusetts
Education
Bachelor of Science in Accounting from University of Nevada-Reno
Location
Seattle, Washington
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Sports




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