Chris Johnson: Did Titans RB Take Big Money and Decide Not to Run?

There was great rejoicing in the foundation offices at East Carolina University earlier this month when one of our own, Chris Johnson, signed that wonderfully hefty new contract extension with his Tennessee Titans.

It isn't often that someone who went to ECU, the place we often called Harvard on the Tar, comes into that kind of money.

Johnson, who was absolutely sensational during his playing days as a Pirate at wonderful Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, inked a four-year, $53.5 million deal, which is basically more than enough to buy the entire town of Greenville.

Pretty sure that Johnson has already committed to become a "Forever Pirate" which entails a one-time donation to the school of $750.

Tennessee's Baron of Blazing Speed, has $30 million guaranteed. He banked a $10 million signing bonus that first week this month, which is enough money to fund his own building on our neat campus.

So we're thrilled that there's one more really wealthy Pirate. In the eastern part of North Carolina, the school is surrounded by tobacco farms, an industry that is hurting, and still in business thanks to the smoking habits in Europe and Asia.

Now that Johnson is one wealthy fella, a well-heeled Titan, Tennessee fans and too many Fantasy Football owners to count, have to be wondering about now where the production went these first two weeks.

The new Daddy Warbucks of Nashville isn't singing a fancy tune when it comes to performance in the Titans first two games.

Johnson, who you'd think can rush for 2,000 yards in his sleep, had 24 yards on the ground in the season-opening fiasco in Jacksonville.

But not to worry, just when you think success may have spoiled Johnson's desire, he amassed 53 yards on 24 carries but the good news is that the Titans pulled one of the Week Two stunners in the NFL with a 26-13 upset of the Ravens.

Great for Tennessee and its fans. Fantasy owners were still weeping.

After two games, CJ's got 33 carries for 77 yards, 2.3 a clip, his longest run is nine yards. Back in his days at ECU, that would be his shortest run.

So if Johnson's going to put up 2,000 on the ground this year, something's gotta give sooner than later.

Here's a guy who can get 2,000 in his sleep, but this year the only way it may come is in his dreams.

Surely this won't turn out to be one of those Albert Haynesworth deals, you know, the grand larceny up in Washington where Fat Albert made off with about $36 million of Daniel Snyder's without breaking a sweat, much less making a whole lot of tackles.

Maybe this will be Johnson's break-out week, after all, the Broncos are coming to town and you'd think our new wealthy Pirate will go on a rushing rampage.

Hopefully that is exactly what will happen.

The only problem is that when you think of the name Pirates, you think of those scurvy characters who'd steal whatever they could get their hands on back in the day when they roamed the Caribbean.

Maybe this is just a slow start for CJ.

But the fact is, he does have the money, now it's time to run.

On the football field.