GREENSBORO, N.C. — It was a busy night for Najmah Monroe. The floor manager for Stephanie's Restaurant II in Greensboro took the role of server on Wednesday to help her waitstaff.
"We have two servers in the dining room and I believe one of my servers, she had a party of 15 and then another one, she is brand new so she was running around trying to grab tables too, so we had three tables that hadn’t been greeted yet. So we had been trying to run around greet tables grab drinks, do everything to help them," Monroe said.
Monroe noticed a man still waiting to be seated, so she found a table for him.
"I went over and got his drink and I said someone will come over to get your order, but my other servers, they were still at their tables," she said.
Not wanting to keep her new customer waiting any longer, she stepped into the role of server.
"I didn't know who he was."
"I didn’t know who he was. I just thought he was another customer," she said.
That customer turned out to be former NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson, commonly known as "Ocho Cinco."
Johnson tipped Monroe $1,000 on a less-than $25 bill. He shared a photo of the receipt on Twitter with the caption "Proverbs 11:25."
He even left a tip about who he is, writing on the receipt, "I once scored six touchdowns in Madden using myself."
"All the zeroes"
"When I picked up the check and went back over here, I looked at it and saw all the zeroes and I just opened my mouth," Monroe said. "I looked at him and I was like, 'For me?' And he said yes, and I was like 'Oh, my gosh.' I was just shocked."
Monroe said the tip meant more than most people can imagine.
"If you aren't a server, nobody will understand. Because we go through so much...especially now. We are short-staffed and we get so many people that treat us so bad. It's a relief for someone to come in, being nice, and tip you well," Monroe said.
"The best customer I've ever had"
To most, Johnson is a high-flying, six-point-scoring football star.
To Monroe, he was simply a customer in need of service and she was there to help.
"Ocho, Chad Johnson. You really, really blessed my day." I don't think you understand how big this meant to me," she said. "You are the best customer I've ever had, so thank you."
Monroe said she plans to put her hard-earned tip toward bills, and maybe a little something to treat herself.
The bible verse Johnson tweeted was this: A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.
Johnson played for the Cincinnati Bengals, the New England Patriots, and the Miami Dolphins between 2001-2012.
