Jon Kitna on Chad 'Ochocinco' Johnson: 'He's Brilliant'

Kitna has nothing but love for his former teammate

CINCINNATI — Former Bengals quarterback Jon Kitna played with Chad Johnson for five seasons (2001-05)

Johnson didn't have Carson Palmer at quarterback for his first two 1,000-yard receiving seasons. He was playing with Kitna, who had nothing but praise for his former teammate.

"He's one of the more authentic people I've ever been around and I appreciate that," Kitna said during an interview with Fanatics View. "I loved him. Love everything about him, still stay in touch with him. In fact, my daughter is on the equipment staff at Arizona State University and his son is a freshman there."

Johnson had six-straight 1,000-yard seasons from 2002-06. He led the AFC in receiving yards for four consecutive seasons and finished first in the NFL with 1,369 yards receiving in 2006.

His stellar play and edgy touchdown celebrations helped revitalize the Cincinnati Bengals. 

"People say 'he's an attention getter.' He's brilliant is what he is," Kitna said. "We were in Cincinnati. There was like 25 teams that mattered and there's like five or six that nobody pays attention to. He was there and he created a name for himself and he brought attention to what we were doing there. I think all of that mattered." 

When people think of Johnson, they think of Twitter or his 'Ochocinco' persona, but he was an outstanding football player. 

He's arguably the best wide receiver in Bengals' history. Some will say A.J. Green, others will mention Isaac Curtis, but Johnson might be first on the list. 

Watch Kitna's entire interview below. For more on the Bengals, including the latest NFL news, go here!