Tennessee football's Jalin Hyatt recounts 'dream' meeting with NFL great Chad Johnson
Mike WilsonJalin Hyatt met one of his biggest fans before Tennessee football played Kentucky on Saturday, and he was bigger than Hyatt expected.
"He is taller than I thought," Hyatt said.
"He" is former NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson, commonly known as "Ochocinco," and a noted fan of Hyatt's skills. The pair finally met Saturday, and Hyatt repeatedly humbly insisted he was the fan in the encounter.
"Those are the things you dream of," Hyatt said. "Just to have the opportunity just to see him, just to meet him, it made my day. I think that is just why I wanted to play so hard today because he was here.”
Johnson was in Knoxville for the weekend, accompanying his daughter, Cha'iel, on an official visit to UT. Cha'iel Johnson, according to her Twitter profile, is a high school senior who wants to run track in college. She has won a state title in the 800-meter sprint the last two years in the state of Florida.
Johnson took the opportunity to meet Hyatt, who set the UT single-season record for receiving touchdowns with 14 after catching two Saturday as No. 3 Tennessee (8-0, 4-0 SEC) smashed No. 17 Kentucky (5-3, 2-3) 44-6.
Johnson, who played 11 seasons in the NFL, has routinely praised Hyatt on Twitter during the junior's breakout season. He first tweeted about Hyatt during Tennessee's 40-13 win at LSU on Oct. 8. He wrote "who the hell is number 11 for Tennessee, gotta be a track athlete as well." He continued the next week asking "What time does my young boul Jalin Hyatt play" on Oct. 15. He wrote "Hyatt scores a 5th touchdown against Alabama, wonder if Mel Kiper is watching" after Hyatt set a UT record with five touchdowns in its 52-49 win against Alabama.
Johnson stated he wanted to "get a picture" with Hyatt during his daughter's official visit Saturday.
“I think it should be the other way around," Hyatt said. "I haven’t done anything close to what he has done.”
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Johnson caught 766 passes for 11,059 receiving yards, all ranking inside the top 40 on the career receiving lists, in his NFL career. The six-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro last played in 2011 with the New England Patriots. He played 10 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.