“I talked to him personally” – When ex-Cowboys DT Tank Johnson spoke to Roger Goodell about buying a gun
Tank Johnson, or Terry Johnson Jr., as he prefers to go by now, has found himself in the crosshairs of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. However, the former defensive tackle admitted back in 2014 that he spoke to Goodell about purchasing a gun.
Johnson contemplated purchasing a gun after his car was broken into but called the commissioner before he bought it. He noted that talked to Goodell personally and spoke highly of him. Here's what he said to David Steele of The Sporting News:
“I talked to him personally. I can reach out and talk to him. He wants to see you successful, and he wants to see you through it. All the guys, he wants them all to be able to do that."
"He doesn’t just discipline you and kick you out the door. He wants you to succeed, and he make the resources available for you to do that—including himself.”
In June 2007, Tank Johnson was suspended eight games by Goodell for breaching the league's personal conduct policy. The former Dallas Cowboys player served 60 days for violating probation on a gun charge. Authorities raided Johnson’s home and found six unregistered firearms in December 2006.
This was a violation of his probation on a gun charge stemming from an arrest in 2005 after a Chicago nightclub valet supposedly observed Johnson with a gun in his vehicle. He pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge over the incident.
Tank Johnson's NFL career
Johnson was drafted in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears. He played the first three seasons of his career with the Bears, accumulating 79 tackles and nine sacks in his time with the team. He was released by the Bears in June 2007.
Next, the former Washington Huskies star joined the Cowboys for two seasons. Johnson had 36 tackles and three sacks in 24 games with Dallas. He played the final two seasons of his NFL career with the Cincinnati Bengals. Johnson played in 21 games for the Bengals, getting 39 tackles and two sacks.