Chad Johnson's NFL career came to a crashing halt this summer following his arrest for domestic battery. The free-agent receiver is asking for one more chance on the field.
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"I messed up. I messed up. Period," Johnson said Wednesday on ESPN's "First Take," via Rotoworld.com. "I lost everything. Football, my wife, the family I had, over something that didn't really mean anything.
"I lost that edge when my focus went away from the game of football. I know that. I understand that."
Johnson's very public divorce from Evelyn Lozada was made official in September. He has flown under the radar since, but Johnson talked Wednesday of a personal transformation and said he was "going to play again."
At 34 years old and multiple seasons removed from tangible on-field production, Johnson has a long way to go to convince teams he's worth their time. He has speed -- we saw that with the Miami Dolphins -- but he's not a plug-and-play wideout at this stage in his career.
Johnson, of course, would disagree. In an open plea to front-office types everywhere, he made his case.
"Dear NFL teams," Johnson said. "At any point -- maybe not this year, because it's kind of late and I'm still working on myself -- but at any point next year, if you're looking for my services, what am I bringing to the table?
"Humility. I'm quiet. And I'm always open."
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.