Chad Johnson initially had four words to describe his appearance on ESPN's "First Take" on Wednesday: "Stood tall. Transparent. Real."
Those words are a start but this appearance by the former NFL wide receiver was at turns confessional, inflammatory, angry, sad and confounding. A seemingly chastened Johnson threw himself to the First Take wolves -- Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith -- in an unexpectedly intense encounter.
Johnson opened about the domestic violence case involving himself and his now ex-wife Evelyn Lozada, along with his possible future in the NFL. Johnson, formerly known as Ochocinco, was candid about his relationship with Lozada, admitting to infidelity and taking responsibility for the incident that took place over the Summer.
"Because I know I'm in the wrong. Perception on the outside, everybody sees this one way, okay you got cut. There was a domestic dispute for one. Which was all my fault. Because I'm living life the way it shouldn't be lived, which is why I lost everything I did... It is what it is. I made the bed. I'm laying in it. I paid the price."
Johnson was arrested back in August for allegedly head-butting Lozada during an argument. About 24 hours later, the Miami Dolphins released the six-time Pro Bowl wideout. Although he initially refused to participate in the divorce proceedings, the split became official later in September.
"It should be out there in a public eye. I'm no saint. I'm no angel. I never proclaimed to be," Johnson proclaimed to Bayless and Smith. "I was squeaky clean for a long time, which is why I was able to get away with some of the stuff that I've done. You know what? Finally, I have to humble myself. I'm not complaining. I'm not fussing about being cut. I made the bed. I'm going to lay in it. I'm going to play again."
While Johnson seemed contrite about the domestic violence case and his divorce, the discussion grew heated when it came to his possible return to the NFL. He couldn't explain what exactly went wrong during his short tenure in New England, but claimed that he will get another opportunity to play professional football.
"Why? Because this is the NFL and there are always second chances," Johnson insisted despite the doubts from the ESPN hosts.
Not surprisingly, this meeting of the minds on First Take generated a bit of chatter on Twitter. A few hours after Johnson tweeted what appeared to be three descriptions of his appearance, he added a fourth.
While the reactions to the segment varied, few were questioning the authenticity of Johnson's words and appearance. That he should have been so candid, however, was up for debate.