Russell, Johnson meet one year after collision

KIRKLAND, Wash. –When Brian Russell and Chad Johnson crossed each other’s paths this time last year, the resulting collision lit a firestorm that spread throughout the league.

Russell, a Seattle Seahawks safety who was with Cleveland last year, put such a big hit on the Cincinnati Bengals’ star receiver that it became the talk of the league.

Some people commended Russell for smacking the wideout who talked so much smack. Others questioned whether Russell’s hit was a cheap shot.

On Wednesday, Johnson chimed in with an unexpected reaction.

“It was clean,” Cincinnati’s receiver said as his team prepared to face the Seahawks in a Sunday game at Qwest Field. “I would have taken the shot on me if I was him, too, (because of) all the trash I talk. It’s about time somebody caught me clean.”

The hit, during which Russell knocked off Johnson’s helmet and left the receiver’s chin bloodied, was so popular that the YouTube video of it has drawn 96,000 hits over the past year. It was so controversial that one of Russell’s teammates, Cleveland receiver Braylon Edwards, questioned whether the hit was dirty.

Russell said that the backlash wasn’t as harsh as it might have seemed, adding that the hit was unimportant because his Browns lost the game.

“It’s just one play,” Russell said. “I think more was made of it than there needed to be.

“… That’s the way I play. I didn’t get fined for that hit. It was clean.”