Lions' C.J. Gardner-Johnson Says He's Changing His Name to 'Ceedy Duce'

Detroit Lions safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson will be going by a new name.

Gardner-Johnson announced Friday on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he will be changing his name to Ceedy Duce and that court documents to make the switch are "on the way."

This isn't the first time Gardner-Johnson has announced that he will change his name.

While he was playing college football for the Florida Gators, he went by Chauncey Gardner Jr. for his first two seasons. He changed his name to Gardner-Johnson before his junior year to honor his stepfather, Brian Johnson, who raised him.

While he was a member of the New Orleans Saints in 2020, he also announced that he was "officially" changing his name to Ceedy Duce.

"Ceedy Duce. No more Chauncey or CJ Gardner-Johnson," he wrote in an Instagram story at the time. "Time to pave a way for my own imagine that I want no more judgement thoughts on me because you really don't know me, until you understand me as a person I wont speak unless spoken to."

Gardner-Johnson was selected by the Saints in the fourth round of the 2019 draft. After three seasons in the Big Easy, he spent the 2022 campaign with the Philadelphia Eagles before joining the Lions in 2023.

In two game for the Lions this season, he has posted two pass breakups and 13 tackles. He was placed on injured reserve in September with a pectoral injury.