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Detroit Lions defensive back C.J Gardner-Johnson is out for the season with a torn pectoral muscle, but he’s staying busy on social media.
The 25-year-old, who was the NFL co-leader in interceptions last season, called for Lions fans to wear blue ski masks to the team’s home opener earlier in the season, and now he’s doing something a little more personal.
Gardner-Johnson took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to announce that he is legally changing his name.
His new name: Ceedy Duce.
Officially changing my name to Ceedy Duce court documents otw 🙏🏾💯
— C.J. Gardner-Johnson (@CGJXXIII) October 27, 2023
It’s no Ochocinco, but it’s definitely unique.
The official name change is a nod to his on-field alter ego, which he explained earlier in the season when speaking to the Detroit Free Press.
“It’s a different person,” Gardner-Johnson said. “I got an alter ego. I got like two different people living in me, football and life. Life, I’m just chilling. Football, that’s a whole different person. People call me Ceedy on the football field or Ducey. In life, they call me C.J. or Chauncey.”
He also goes by “Ceedy Duce” on Instagram, with the handle @ceedy.duce.
Gardner-Johnson signed a one-year, $8 million with Detroit in the 2023 offseason after his lone year with the Philadelphia Eagles, whom he helped reach Super Bowl 57.
Unfortunately, the 2019 fourth-round pick suffered his season-ending injury in the Lions’ Week 2 overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks. But when he returns to the field next season, there will be a new name on the back of his jersey.
