Johnny Knox Johnny Knox ( born November 3 , 1986 ) is a former American football wide receiver . He was selected by the Chicago Bears as the 140th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft , through a draft pick they acquired in the Kyle Orton - Jay Cutler trade . He played college football for Abilene Christian . As a result of a devastating spinal injury sustained in a regular season game against the Seattle Seahawks in 2011 , he decided to retire from the NFL on February 13 , 2013 . Early life . After graduating in 2005 from Channelview High School in Channelview , Texas , Knox enrolled at Tyler Junior College . As a sophomore at Tyler , he led all junior college receivers with 884 yards and 12 touchdowns . " Rivals . com " rated him as the No . 9 junior college receiver in the class of 2007 , and he transferred to Abilene Christian . He went into his first season at Abilene Christian listed as a backup wide receiver , but he quickly moved into a starting role . He finished the season with 62 receptions for 1 , 158 yards and a school - record 17 touchdowns . He finished third in Division II in 2007 in touchdown receptions , while racking up the fourth - most receiving yards in a season in Abilene Christian history . He earned honorable mention Division II All - America honors . While garnering more attention from defenses in 2008 , Knox still racked up 56 receptions for 1 , 069 yards and 13 touchdowns . Knox helped Abilene Christian start 11 – 0 before losing in the third round of the Division II playoffs . His 30 touchdown receptions in two seasons were the most in Abilene Christian history , and he earned second team All - America honors in 2008 . After the 2008 season , Knox was invited to participate in the 2009 Texas vs The Nation All - Star Classic , where he had three receptions for 55 yards and caught a TD pass from David Johnson in a losing effort for the Texas team . Professional career . Chicago Bears . Knox joined the Chicago Bears after being chosen in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft . He caught his first NFL pass , a 68 - yard reception , on September 13 , 2009 against the Green Bay Packers . During the second game of the 2009 season ( against the Pittsburgh Steelers ) , Knox recorded his first NFL touchdown catch on a key third down to tie the game up 14 – 14 . He recorded another touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks , a seven - yard reception . In the fourth game of the season , against the Detroit Lions , he scored a touchdown on a 102 - yard kickoff return . Two weeks later , after a bye week , Knox caught a 60 - yard touchdown from Jay Cutler . On November 29 , 2009 , Knox returned a kickoff 77 yards to set up a Bears field goal versus the Vikings . Against the Vikings in 2009 , Knox sustained a season - ending ankle injury , finishing the year with 45 receptions for 527 yards and five touchdowns . Knox ranked second in the NFL for return yard average with 29 . 0 . On January 25 , 2010 , Knox was selected to the NFC roster for the 2010 Pro Bowl , replacing Minnesota ' s Percy Harvin , who withdrew due to injury concerns . Knox returned four kicks for 103 yards in his Pro Bowl debut . He was also targeted on two passes as a wide receiver , but failed to log a reception . In 2010 , Knox led the Bears in receiving yards ( 960 ) , and tied for first in the team for receptions ( 51 ) and receiving touchdowns ( 5 ) . In 2011 , he led the Bears in receiving yards ( 727 ) and ranked second in the NFL in yards per reception ( 19 . 6 ) . On December 18 , 2011 , during a game against Seattle , Knox sustained a serious back injury after attempting to recover his own fumble and clashing with Anthony Hargrove . Knox required immediate surgery in order to stabilize an injured vertebra , but maintained sensation in all limbs following the incident . He was placed on injured reserve on December 19 , ending his season . Knox was eventually placed on the " Physically Unable - to Perform " list at the start of 2012 . As a result , Knox was out for the first six weeks of the season and was eligible to return on October 22 when the Bears played the Detroit Lions . He did not meet this deadline and was unable to play for the entire 2012 season . Knox was released by the Bears on February 12 , 2013 , and announced his retirement on February 13 , 2013 . Personal life . Knox and his wife SanDerriqua have two children . On June 16 and 17 , 2012 Knox spoke and was interviewed at Willow Creek Community Church as a special for Father ' s Day . He talked about the injury , his kids , his father , and his faith .