Wide receiver Calvin Johnson of the Detroit Lions catches a third quarter touchdown in front of cornerback Eric Rowe of the Philadelphia Eagles on November 26, 2015 at Ford Field in Detroit.
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After weighing in at almost 240 pounds, Johnson ran a 4.35-second 40-yard dash, displayed a broad jump of over 11.5 feet, managed a 42.5 inch vertical leap, and managed a 41 on the Wonderlic to top it all off. He was the #2 overall pick by the Detroit Lions in the 2007 NFL Draft, after receiving extraordinarily high remarks from scouts leading up to the Draft. Afterward, Johnson said, “I knew if they got it to me, I could catch it”. “I feel like – you know you never want to blame a team – I don’t think he had enough support around him”.
In addition to Calvin Johnson’s legacy within the game of football, the Detroit Lions will also miss “Megatron” for being an upstanding symbol for the team. But it seems Johnson made the decision easier on them. He played nine seasons, all in Detroit, recording 731 career receptions for 11,619 yards and 83 touchdowns. I can only describe it like a Super Hero realizing his Super Powers one day at a time until he realized he was there to save the city. He’s been an icon, a living legend, “Megatron”, known across the country as one of the game’s best, both on and off the field. He ranked among league leaders last season with 88 receptions for 1,214 yards and nine TDs, playing through lingering injuries as he often did. He dealt with a bad ankle for most of the season, usually sitting out at least one practice per week.
He declined last season to say if he would restructure his contract, which called for him to count $24 million against the salary cap next season.
Johnson broke one of Hall of Famer Jerry Rice’s records with 1,964 yards receiving in 2012.
“I wish Calvin the very best in all his future endeavors, especially he and Brittney’s upcoming wedding, and I am confident Calvin will be just as successful in the next chapter of his life as he was playing for the Lions”.
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Johnson only made two playoff appearances, though – in 2011 and 2014. And he served notice in the third game he ever played, when Georgia Tech faced No. 20 Clemson in Death Valley – the first of many highlights to come.
