Former Cincinnati Bengals star has perfect reaction to OpTic Texas winning second straight Call of Duty World Championship

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Adam Holt | Last updated Jul 1, 2025 6:24 PM ET

The NFL offseason gives a good look to what players, current and former, prefer doing in their free time. For a former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver, he enjoys watching competitive Call of Duty. He's one of many professional athletes who have shown an interest in the competitive gaming scene in recent years.

The Call of Duty World Championship was held this past week and weekend, as professional teams around the United States and Canada battled for the massive cash prize and annual title of the best team in Call of Duty.

OpTic Texas, a team who had dealt with plenty of turmoil this season, dominated their way to a tournament victory. A rookie paved the way to their success, creating a social media sensation for the esport.

Chad Johnson's shoutout to top Call of Duty rookie

A day after the tournament concluded, former Bengals star and fan favorite Chad Johnson had a simple but accurate reaction to the performance by one of Texas' players.

Mason "Mercules" Ramsey joined the OpTic Texas roster midseason, and the team took strides - with him proving to be one of the best young talents in the esport. Johnson took notice after seeing Mercules win MVP of the tournament.

Wow Mercules
— Chad Johnson (@ochocinco) June 30, 2025

BACK2BACK WORLD CHAMPIONS @Shotzzy @DashySZN @Huke @Tbemercules @DKarma @JPKrez pic.twitter.com/jBrRMUCvEj
— OpTic (@OpTic) June 29, 2025

Mercules was undeniable at this event. The 21-year-old, playing in his third-ever event at this level, has taken the CoD world by storm and raised questions about the pathway to pro for CoD talent. Mercules himself only debuted in the CDL due to Britain’s Ben ‘Beans’ McMellon having visa issues, subbing in for Toronto Ultra. -- Esports News UK

Mercules was only available for Texas to pick up due to Toronto's lack of urgency to add him to their starting lineup after his fill-in performance. Texas smartly jumped at the opportunity, with Anthony "Methodz" Zinni, a creator for OpTic, leading the charge to recruit him.

Ultimately, that aggressive move paid off better than anyone imagined as he helped lead the squad to their second World Championship in as many years.

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A post shared by OpTic Gaming (@opticgaming)

As Texas moves forward, Mercules looks like he will be a stalwart piece to their roster for the foreseeable future. His chemistry with his teammates, game sense, and pure ability with the controller in his hands all blend into one of the most exciting stories in the esport in quite some time.

Johnson's recognition of the young phenom was a cool sight to see. The Call of Duty League reported a new record high for peak viewership (353,525 viewers) during the tournament, too. All eyes were on the rookie and OpTic. They delivered.