Former Kansas City Chiefs RB Larry Johnson popped up in the news when he commented on Jamaal Charles’ comments when he joined the Broncos earlier this week. 610 Sports had LJ on for an interview today which was his first KC interview since he left.
Click here to listen to it at 610 Sports or watch it below.
The interview was incredible. One of the best interviews I’ve ever heard. This is not the same LJ. He was candid with his struggles with alcohol, depression and domestic violence when he was younger. He said he went to therapy. He talked about a bipolar disorder. He didn’t deny anything about his past. It’s almost unbelievable to me how clearly it appears he sees everything right now.
A lot of people had a lot of problems with LJ, and rightfully so. 610 Sports host Bob Fescoe was up front with him about his issues with what LJ did in the past and LJ didn’t back away from it. He owned his mistakes. He said he was in a good place now. I urge you to listen to this to see how much he has seemingly changed.
Here are some quotes ...
On Jamaal Charles: “I wanted him to learn what to do and what not to do. I was definitely the example of showing him what not do. I was hoping after spending time in Kansas City that he would be able to thank the fans, thanks for the support and thanks for the chance and opportunity and move onto Denver and then when you get there say I'm with a new team now. You made four Pro Bowls, broke numerous records rushing in Kansas City so why leave on a sour note?”
On why he had a chip on his shoulder in Kansas City: “Being 22 or 23 years old and you have such a chip on your shoulder. I didn't know how to turn that off. I used every negative vice that was at my disposal and I ran amuck. I basically ran amuck in Kansas City. When you feel so much rage and anger and you don't know why things the way they are and you can't control it so you lash out at everyone. That's what being immature is. Being immature is not being able to control your emotions when things get down. It took for me to have my own child to remember I'm no longer living for myself. When I was in Kansas City, in that jersey, I was only living for me. When people see me on TV that I had gotten in trouble or arrested, I'm thinking poor me, I'm the victim. I'm not looking at the fans where the fans would hear insults and they would text their friends who were Giants fans or Oakland fans and my name would come up and they would have to feel disappointed they always have to vouch for me and they always have to fight for me and say this is not who he is, he's a good player. I didn't understand then but I understand now that you can't take fans for granted. You can't take the organization that you were in for granted. Perception is everything and you have to fight for the rest of your life to get back in the good graces of people who pay 75 or 80 dollars just to go into a stadium and watch you play.”
On his time in Kansas City: “I basically came in there with a selfish arrogant attitude and I left selfish and arrogant. And now, fatherhood is a tremendous thing.”
On Vermeil's diapers comment: “When you guys (the media) came in, I was in the locker room dumbfounded like, 'What did he say?' That initiated where I'm at. He's on this side, I'm on this side by myself. Everything is about me now. Everything is not about the team, it's about me proving him wrong and showing what I can do.”
On how it went when he was cut from the Chiefs: “It really wasn't a conversation. It had a lot to do with I was 75 or 79 yards away from being the Chiefs all-time leading rusher. I wanted to go back in the San Diego game when we were getting blown out and they were like no don't go back in. So when that homophobic slur on Twitter and to the media, that in itself was enough that they were done with the Larry Johnson fiasco that they were going to let me go. There was no way they were going to have me go over Priest Holmes' number when Priest has been such a god-like figure in Kansas City, and rightfully so. He came from Baltimore and had an extraordinary career in Kansas City. They're not going to let some rebel kid from Penn State with 79 yards to go and be held as the greatest runner in Chiefs history after what I was doing. If I was the coach or the owner, I would've done the same exact thing. I never would've let me touch that record.”
On his domestic violence issues: “I look back at it as a kid so wild and mismanaged, mismanaged energy, emotions and everything. At a point where you give me money and way too much freedom and you give me the ability to manipulate and lie to women and to make them feel like they belong to me and they were property and they couldn't see anyone else and they had to show up when I showed up. That's what creates an illness or sickness inside. I had a lot of insecurity issues when I left college. A lot of them. People couldn't see them but I had a lot of them. I would project those feelings onto other people. So when I would go out and drink heavily and that time my drinking was getting way out of control because I was used to handling everything inside and keeping my emotions dormant and when I can no longer control my emotions or how I feel it spills into the club, it spills into drinking and whatever woman is with me at the end of the night, it's going to come out. I wish I could go back and change things but if I did change things I wouldn't be a changed man talking to you today.”