sport news Ex-Steeler Charles Johnson died 'by suicide from drug overdose' aged 50, ... trends now Ex-Steelers receiver Charles Johnson died 'by suicide from drug overdose' aged 50, medical examiner reveals, after NFL nine-year career that included a Super Bowl title with the Patriots in 2002 Charles Johnson, a former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver who ultimately won a Super Bowl with the New England Patriots in 2002, passed away in July A cause of death has now been revealed for Johnson, who was working as an assistant athletic director at Heritage High School in North Carolina Per the state medical examiner's office in NC, Johnson died by suicide after OD A first-round pick in the 1994 draft by Pittsburgh, Johnson played with his former University of Colorado teammate, QB Kordell Stewart, with the Steelers By Patrick Djordjevic and Alex Raskin Sports News Editor For Dailmail.com Published: 21:57 GMT, 11 January 2023 | Updated: 21:57 GMT, 11 January 2023 Viewcomments Charles Johnson, a former Pittsburgh Steeler and New England Patriot who died in July, aged 50, passed by suicide. Johnson, who ultimately won a Super Bowl while with the Patriots, overdosed on drugs according to the state medical examiner's office in North Carolina, via USA Today. He was found dead in a hotel room near his home in Raleigh, NC. on July 17, 2022 following his wife reporting the 50-year-old missing a day prior. Per the report, Johnson had 'acute oxycodone, hydrocodone and mirtazapine toxicity,' in his body and had been acting rather peculiarly leading up to his death; purchasing a 'funeral and cremation service.' Raleigh police officers found him unresponsive on a welfare check after he had not checked out of the room at Hampton Inn. Johnson was pronounced dead at the scene. Charles Johnson, a former Pittsburgh Steelers receiver who ultimately won a Super Bowl with the New England Patriots, has died at age 50. A cause of death has not been revealed 'A query of the North Carolina Prescription Monitoring Service showed no active prescriptions. An old (2018) short-term hydrocodone prescription was documented,' the report said. A first-round pick in the 1994 draft by Pittsburgh, Johnson played with his former University of Colorado teammate, quarterback Kordell Stewart, with the Steelers throughout the late 1990s. After a two-year stint in Philadelphia, Johnson signed with New England, where he won a Super Bowl at the end of the 2001 NFL season. He appeared in 16 games for the Buffalo Bills in 2002 at age 30, but caught just three passes and retired after the season. Johnson signed on at Heritage High School in Wake Forest, North Carolina after retiring, working with other former NFL players in the athletic department, such as Dewayne Washington, Willie Parker, and Torry Holt Johnson finished his career with 24 touchdowns and 4,606 receiving yards on 354 catches. He signed on at Heritage High School in Wake Forest, North Carolina after retiring, working with other former NFL players in the athletic department, such as Dewayne Washington, Willie Parker, and Torry Holt. 'This hurts,' tweeted an account belonging to Delano Tavares. 'Great guy. Every time I walked in the gym, we chop it up. Always encouraging anyways (sic) looking to make me comfortable. Always asked if I needed anything. Always made [me] feel better than when I walked in the door. RIP. May God Grant your friends & family strength.' Longtime Steelers beat writer Ed Bouchette described Johnson as 'among the nicest players I covered.' Receivers Andre Hastings #88 Kordell Stewart #10 and Charles Johnson #81 line up for the next play during the Steelers 30-16 win over the Houston Oilers at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh in 1996. Stewart and Johnson were college teammates at Colorado Johnson's death was preceded by the passing of two other well-known NFL receivers: former Denver Broncos star Demaryius Thomas and Vincent Jackson, a standout for the San Diego Chargers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Thomas died of heat stroke last December after he was found in his Atlanta-area home at age 33. Boston University researchers have since revealed to The New York Times that he was suffering from Stage 2 CTE – the same condition Jackson was posthumously diagnosed with after he died from chronic alcohol use in February of 2021. There is currently no publicly available evidence linking Johnson's death to CTE. Read more: Share or comment on this article: All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility