Associated Press
DULUTH, Ga. ó NFL receiver Chad Ochocinco backed up his promise to ride a 1,500-pound bull on the Professional Bull Riders circuit Saturday night, earning $10,000 for making it out of the chute atop Deja Blu.
The ride lasted 1.5 seconds before Ochocinco was bucked off with no apparent injury.
Ochocinco, who wore a helmet and a standard protective vest, fell 6.5 seconds short of the time needed to win a new Ford truck and to earn the right to rename the bull after Cincinnati Bengals coach Marvin Lewis.
But the challenge that began with a tweet earlier this month ended with Ochocinco proving PBR president Sean Gleason that he was serious. The six-time Pro Bowl receiver said, however, that he would never ride a bull again.
ěOne and done,î he said.
The publicity stunt was the latest for Ochocinco, whose Twitter account has nearly 2 million followers.
Ochocinco said he did not speak with Cincinnati coaches when the NFL lockout was briefly lifted in late April. He is under contract with the Bengals but is likely either to be released or told to take a hefty pay cut now that Cincinnati has drafted A.J. Green.
Ochocinco acknowledged that the Bengals probably werenít pleased that he was risking a career-threatening injury.
ěIím sure my coach was probably (upset),î Ochocinco said. ěI mean, I would be, too. Iím sure the NFL is (upset), but I donít follow their rules anyway.î
Ty Murray, a former world champion rider and a PBR director, coached Ochocinco the last two days at the Gwinnett Arena in hopes of preparing him for the powerful force of a bucking bull.
Murray compared the experience to a first-time skier attempting to navigate a run from the top of the French Alps.
ěWe practiced several crash scenarios today,î Murray said. ěHeís a phenomenal athlete, heís very easy to teach because heís so athletic and aware of his body. But what he did was monumental and to try and ride a bull for 8 seconds with his lack of experience is impossible.î