Duke Johnson retired after scoring 23 touchdowns throughout eight seasons in the NFL.
Duke Johnson is retiring from the NFL after eight seasons with four different franchises. The former Miami Hurricanes tailback last played in 2022 with the Buffalo Bills and announced his decision to hang up his cleats on Instagram over the weekend.
“8 Years 4 teams with 1 goal in mind, create a better life for my family,” Johnson wrote. “I never dreamed of being the all time leading rusher of my dream school or being somewhere on the list of all time players to come out of South Florida. I just wanted an opportunity to play a game to provide a better life for my family and I was able to do just that.
“I want to thank each team for giving me the chance to play and represent your organization and all the fans that supported me through the highs and lows. Thanks to all my vets who were able to show me the ropes free of charge and all my little bros who trusted me to be that veteran that you can depend on, that really meant a lot to me. To all my coaches that I love, y’all know who y’all are, THANK YOU.”
Johnson became the Hurricanes’ all-time leading rusher while running for 1,652 yards and touchdowns as a junior in 2014. He joined the Cleveland Browns as a third-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft after rushing for 3,519 yards on 526 carries throughout his three-year college career.
He spent four seasons in Cleveland and was later traded to the Houston Texans for a conditional 2020 draft pick. Johnson appeared in 27 games over two seasons and scored seven touchdowns with the Texans.
The Miami Dolphins signed Johnson to the practice squad on Oct. 26, 2021, to improve an offense averaging 92.2 rushing yards per game. Johnson set a career-high with 107 rushing yards and two touchdowns on Dec. 19 against the New York Jets, which helped Miami improve to .500 after beginning the year 1-7.
Johnson would later re-set his career-best with 117 rushing yards in Miami’s Week 18 33-24 win over the New England Patriots. He started four games for the Dolphins and closed the season with 330 rushing yards on 4.6 yards per carry.
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