LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – C.J. Johnson was known as Cory when he played defensive line at the University of Kentucky in 2014 and 2015, but another name stuck with him.
Poop.
Johnson earned that nickname when he told some sports reporters about his, well, daily habits. The clip went viral and when Johnson signed with the Toronto Argonauts, he got the attention of some network late night talk shows in the United States, like Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel.
Instead of running from the nickname, Johnson used it to brand himself and now, he’s all in with it as the author of a children’s book about potty training just published this year.
“The book is called 'Poopy Stew.' It’s about ... a dog ... making all types of food, mixing them up, and it makes you have to poop,” Johnson said from his home in Columbia, South Carolina, where he is waiting and thinking about resuming is football career.
After a stint in the CFL, he was recently offered a contract from an indoor football team, but Johnson says he’s really trying to determine if football is in his future.
“I’m at a point where I really want to play, but I also want to try to experience what I wasn’t able to experience, which is being me, really," he said.
Johnson feels like being himself was a drawback in the eyes of some of his coaches throughout his career. He’s not just a football player and author, but he’s also a musician, who performs under the name “Poop Mane.” (Again, he’s all in on that nickname.)
“Since football has been shut down, I have been at peace. For me, it’s so stressful. I get a lot of calls from teams, so I talk to a lot of teams. But then I’ll talk to a team and there will be questions that I gotta go through that you shouldn’t have to. Like: 'If we bring you into the team, are you going to be focused or are you going to be doing music? If we bring you in, how do we know you’re not going to try to be a comedian?'”
Johnson is also part of the publishing company that released his book, so there’s another iron in the fire outside of football.
“I love the game, don’t get me wrong. But sometimes I want to live," he said.
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