Charles Johnson, a first-round pick and former wide receiver for the Steelers, dies at the age of fifty (50).

On Wednesday morning, the Steelers Nation was saddened to learn of the passing of former first-round choice Charles Johnson.

Charles Johnson, a former wide receiver, passed away on June 20. The news devastated Steelers supporters and the media. Wake Forest, South Carolina-based Johnson’s employer made the announcement of his passing. He was barely fifty years old. As of right now, the cause of his death is unknown.

The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Johnson with the 17th overall choice in the first round of the 1994 NFL Draft. Johnson was a high-selection pick who never quite lived up to the great expectations placed on him, but he developed into a solid NFL wide receiver who played for nine seasons.

In a run-heavy scheme, Johnson gained 577 yards and three touchdowns in his debut year with the Steelers, getting off to a comparatively quick start. Johnson caught 60 passes for 1,008 yards and three touchdowns in his third season in 1996, earning him his only 1,000-yard season.

In 1998, the former first-round selection had another respectable season in Pittsburgh, with 815 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns. His tenure with the team ended this season.

Following five seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Johnson spent two seasons (1999–2000) as a player with the Philadelphia Eagles. After winning a Super Bowl with the New England Patriots for a brief period of time in 2001, he concluded his career with the Buffalo Bills in 2002.

Johnson was a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ winning teams during his playing career, helping the team to four seasons with ten or more wins during his five years there. He did not play in Pittsburgh’s Super Bowl loss to the Dallas Cowboys in his second season. But Johnson would eventually win his ring in New England.

Johnson had 354 receptions on 659 targets for 4,606 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns by the end of his nine-year career in the NFL.

Johnson was raised in the California city of San Bernardino. He worked as Heritage High School’s associate athletic director for the past few years.