KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — A waitress in Tennessee got quite the surprise on Saturday when she received a massive tip courtesy of former NFL star Chad Johnson.
The six-time NFL Pro Bowl selection visited an IHOP in Knoxville Saturday morning before attending Tennessee’s 44-6 victory over Kentucky at Neyland Stadium. A receipt posted by Johnson showed he left a $1,000.00 tip on his tab of $14.29 of food at 9:35 a.m.
“It’s my first time in the ‘ville, going to the game tonight but I don’t know the Rocky Top song,” he wrote on the receipt.
The retired wide receiver tweeted previously that he would be traveling to Knoxville for his daughter Cha’iel’s official visit with the University of Tennessee Track & Field team. A senior at St. Thomas Aquinas in Florida, she already boasts two state titles in the 800-meter dash.
He was seen on the sidelines of Saturday’s game wearing a jersey of Vols quarterback Hendon Hooker and talking with Tennessee players. Johnson has been a vocal supporter of Tennessee receiver Jalin Hyatt since watching the junior catch two touchdowns against LSU while on another recruiting trip with his daughter.
The two met on the field pregame and Hyatt said the interaction was, “like a dream come true,” when speaking to media after the game.
“Atmosphere at Neyland is crazy,” Johnson wrote of his experience at the game.
He is well known as a prolific tipper at restaurants, often tweeting out four-figure tips along with “Proverbs 11:25,” the King James Bible verse that states, “he that watereth shall be watered also himself.”
Johnson played 10 seasons in the NFL from 2001 to 2011. He retired as the holder of 10 Cincinnati Bengals franchise records and currently ranks 32nd in NFL history for most career receiving yards.
