“C.J. Gardner-Johnson” is no more.
The 25-year-old Detroit Lions safety announced in his Instagram story that he is legally changing his name to “Ceedy Duce”. Gardner-Johnson noted in the post that the court documents are on the way.
The veteran defensive back was born as Chauncey Gardner Junior. He changed his surname to “Gardner-Johnson” as a nod to his stepfather, Brian Johnson, during his college days with the Florida Gators.
Gardner-Johnson is just one of several notable players to have legally changed his name. Veteran wide receiver Robbie Anderson changed his name to “Chosen Anderson” before deciding to switch it over to “Robbie Chosen.”
And of course, former Cincinnati Bengals star wide receiver Chad Johnson temporarily changed his surname to “Ochocinco”. The former Pro Bowler decided to back to “Johnson” after joining the Miami Dolphins in 2012.
After three seasons with the New Orleans Saints (2019-2021), Gardner-Johnson was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in an offseason blockbuster trade. He played a pivotal role in helping the Eagles reach Super Bowl 57, where they fell to the Patrick Mahomes-led Kansas City Chiefs.
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Gardner-Johnson proceeded to sign a one-year deal with the Lions in 2023 free agency. Unfortunately, the veteran standout suffered a torn pectoral muscle in Detroit’s Week 2 overtime home loss to the Seattle Seahawks and required surgery.
There’s a good chance that Gardner-Johnson is out for the season, but he hopes to return at some point as the Lions look to win their first division title in 30 years.
