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We have tragic news to report from the world of sports today:

Multiple outlets have now confirmed that former Cincinnati Bengals running back Rudi Johnson has passed away.

The 2004 Pro Bowl selection was just 45 years old.

Rudi Johnson’s tragic cause of death revealed

Sadly, the tale of Rudi’s passing is one that’s become all too familiar to football fans.

Johnson reportedly took his own life, possibly as a result of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy he suffered during the course of his eight years in the NFL.

According to TMZ , Johnson had been “struggling with mental health issues and the possible effects of CTE that he could not overcome.”

“Rudi was a fine person and an excellent running back for us,” Bengals president Mike Brown said in a statement,

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