Watch Chad Johnson hug referee after his first CFL touchdown catch

Chad Johnson seems to have mellowed since his days in the NFL.

But that doesn’t mean he’s boring.

Following his first touchdown catch with the CFL -- a 46-yard strike from Montreal Alouettes quarterback Troy Smith on Friday -- Johnson didn’t launch into a riverdance, use a pylon as a putter, propose to a cheerleader or any of the other wacky stunts he pulled in the NFL.

Instead, the receiver formerly known as Ochocinco went the touchy-feely route.

“Simple, no celebration,” Johnson said after the game of his post-score reaction. “A nice prayer thanking God and I hugged the referee and told him, ‘I love you.’ And that was it.”

How sweet, even though the referee may not have thought so. He had no reaction whatsoever to the unexpected burst of affection.

Johnson’s CFL career has gotten off to a slow start -- he had just two catches for 20 yards going into Friday’s third game of the season. And it’s been a long time since he scored the last of his 67 NFL touchdowns (Dec. 18, 2011, as a member of the Patriots).

So maybe he just wanted to share the special moment with someone. It’s just too bad he chose to do it with a non-feeling robot.