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Calvin Johnson

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For other people with this name, see Calvin Johnson.
Calvin Johnson
refer to caption
Calvin Johnson with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Photo by Jamie Howell
Detroit Lions
Career information
College:Georgia Tech
NFL draft:2007 / round: 1 / pick: 2
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2007
Receptions:48
Receiving Yards:756
Receiving TDs:4
Stats at Pro Football Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Calvin Johnson (born September 25, 1985 in Tyrone, Georgia) is an American football wide receiver for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Lions in the second overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia Tech.

Johnson has a rare combination of size (6 ft. 5 in., 239 lb/ 196 cm, 108 kg), speed (4.35 sec 40-yard dash), strength, leaping ability (more than 45" (114 cm) vertical),[1][2] body control and hand-eye coordination. It is often mentioned that he is also a very humble and well-behaved person.[3]

Early years

Johnson was born to Calvin and Arica Johnson on September 25, 1985 in Tyrone, Georgia.[2] Johnson was 6 feet tall in middle school, and 6 feet 4 inches in 10th grade.[4] He attended Sandy Creek High School in Tyrone, Georgia and was a student and a letterman in football. In football, he was a three year starter as a wide receiver. As a sophomore, he made 34 receptions for 646 yards and 10 touchdowns. As a junior, Johnson caught 40 passes for 736 yards and eight touchdowns.[2][5]

One of Georgia Tech's most highly publicized signees in recent years, Johnson was rated among the nation's top 10 wide receivers and top 100 players by virtually every recruiting analyst. He was tabbed the No. 4 wide receiver and No. 15 player in the nation by TheInsiders.com, named to the Super Southern 100 by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Rivals 100 by Rivals.com, TheInsiders.com Hot 100, the SuperPrep All-America 275 and the Prep Star Top 100 Dream Team.[2]

He was also rated the No. 1 player in Georgia, No. 12 in the Southeast and No. 37 in the nation by Rivals.com, the No. 7 wide receiver in the nation by SuperPrep. First-team all-state selection (Class AAAA) by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Finally, he was tabbed to the AJC's preseason Super 11.[2] By the time he was a junior, he was ranked as within the top 10 wide receivers and the top 100 players in the nation by almost every analyst.[2]

College career

Calvin Johnson catching a pass

In his career at Georgia Tech, Johnson made a case for being the greatest Georgia Tech receiver of all time, a significant accomplishment considering Tech's recent penchant for producing several talented wide receivers. Johnson has 178 receptions in his career, good for 2,927 yards and 28 touchdowns. He ranks first in school history in career receiving yards, second in receptions, first in touchdown receptions, and first in most career 100-yard receiving games with 13.[6]

As a freshman in 2004, Johnson was named first-team All-ACC. Johnson was the Jackets' leading receiver with 48 catches for 837 yards and seven scores, which were Georgia Tech freshman records. Johnson ended his freshman campaign against Syracuse University in the Champs Sports Bowl, where he recorded a touchdown. 2005 was Johnson's sophomore year, where he earned first-team All-American honors. He also earned All-ACC honors for the 2nd straight year and was semifinalist for the Fred Biletnikoff Award. He led Tech with 54 catches for 888 yards and six scores.

Johnson entered his junior season in the Biletnikoff Award running and Heisman Trophy running. Although Johnson finished 10th for the Heisman, he won the Biletnikoff. Johnson was ACC Player of the Year and made his 3rd straight selection to All-ACC squad. Johnson tallied 1,202 yards on 76 catches. Johnson's 15 touchdowns in 2006 is a new Georgia Tech single-season record.[7] Against the West Virginia Mountaineers in the Toyota Gator Bowl, Johnson had nine catches for 186 yards and two touchdowns in a losing effort.[8][9]

College awards and honors

  • First-Team Freshman All-American 2004[10]
  • All-American 2005 (AFCA, 1st team; AP, 2nd team; Walter Camp, 2nd team) and 2006 (AFCA, 1st team; Walter Camp, 1st team)[10]
  • First-Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference, 2004, 2005 and 2006[2]
  • ACC Rookie of the Year, 2004[2]
  • ACC Player of the Year, 2006[2]
  • Four-time ACC Rookie of the Week[10]
  • Best Wide Receiver in the nation by IGN.com, via NCAA Football 07[11]
  • Biletnikoff Award, 2006[2]

Academic activities

During the 2006 summer, Johnson (Management with a background in building construction) was given the option of working on either constructing environmentally friendly luxury condos, or a project building solar latrines to improve sanitation in Bolivia.[12][13] Johnson chose the latter, as he wanted to help the less fortunate.[14] The "solar latrines" use the sun’s rays to safely transform bacteria-laden waste into fertilizer.[14][15]

Professional career

Calvin Johnson in his Detroit Lions training uniform

2007 NFL Draft

Calvin Johnson was SI.com's Midseason NFL Draft Projection #1 pick,[16] though Johnson had stated that he intended to earn his degree from Georgia Tech.[2] On January 8, 2007, Johnson declared himself eligible for the NFL Draft, bypassing his senior season at Georgia Tech.[6][17] He is regarded as the best athlete to come out of the draft and was the #1 player on most draft boards.[1][18][19] Johnson is said by ESPN to be able to be productive as a rookie, much like receiver Randy Moss was as a rookie.[1] In a mid-February workout with speed and conditioning coach Tom Shaw, Johnson clocked a remarkable 4.33 second 40-yard dash, recorded an 11-foot standing broad jump, and had a vertical leap of 43 inches.[20]

Johnson surprised many when he weighed in at 239 pounds at the combine, 12 pounds more than expected, although he claims that this season he played "at about 235 and I got up to 238" and that his weight was not a problem.[1] Johnson had told the media that he would not run the 40 yard dash at the combine but would wait until his March 15 workout at Georgia Tech. At the last minute, however, he was thought to have borrowed a pair of shoes from East Carolina QB James Pinkney and clocked an impressive 4.35 in the 40 yard dash.[1] He later insisted that he had not borrowed the shoes, but simply reclaimed his own. Pinkney arrived in tennis shoes, and Johnson informed him he needed cleats and lent him his own. When he later returned to retrieve his shoes to run, many thought he was borrowing Pinkney's cleats.[21] Johnson ultimately allowed the 4.35 to speak for itself and wowed scouts with his jump drill results, his receiving skills, and his 11 ft 7 in (3.53 m) broad jump, which is "best broad jump I can ever remember an NFL prospect having," according to Gil Brandt.[22]

Johnson was selected by the Detroit Lions as the 2nd pick overall in the 2007 NFL Draft.[23][24][25] This is the highest a Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket has ever been drafted.[23] The Lions were expected to trade Johnson, most likely to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the team announced that they were keeping him.[26] The next day the Detroit Tigers invited him to throw out the first pitch.[27][28]

Pre-draft measureables
Wt 40 yd 20 ss 3-cone Vert BP Wonderlic
239 lb* 4.35s* X X 42.5 in[29] X X

(* represents NFL Combine)

Detroit Lions

Johnson attended Reebok's NFL Rookie Premiere in Los Angeles. The Lions, being told by the league that Johnson would have to skip the minicamp to attend, rescheduled the camp to accommodate Johnson.[30] On August 3, 2007, Calvin Johnson signed a 6-year deal with the Detroit Lions after holding out for eight days, and passed his physical in time to be on the field for the start of that morning's practice.[31][32][33][10] The contract is worth up to $64 million, with $27.2 million in guaranteed money, making Johnson the highest-paid player in Lions history and the highest-paid receiver (in guaranteed money) in the NFL.[31][34]

Although he did not start the game, Johnson had an impressive NFL debut on Sunday, September 9, 2007, catching 4 passes for 70 yards and his first career touchdown in Detroit's 36-21 win over the Oakland Raiders.[35][36][37] He sustained a lower back injury after making an impressive catch over two Philadelphia Eagles defenders on September 23, 2007.[38] He scored his first NFL rushing touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on October 21, 2007 on an impressive 32-yard reverse play.[39] Fellow teammate Roy Williams nicknamed Johnson "Megatron", due to his large hands being similar to that of the towering Decepticon.[40] Johnson finished the 2007 season with 756 yards and 5 total touchdowns.

Johnson says he can "still feel" the lower-back injury that bothered him throughout his rookie season. Johnson took five weeks off after the season and is taking part in the Lions' offseason program. "I know it's there but it doesn't hurt," he said.[41] Johnson revealed that he needed Vicodin to play through the final three months of the 2007 season. He needed the medication to help him play with a bone bruise in his back. "I was on meds the rest of the season," he said. "I was taking Vicodin twice a game just to get through the game. I stayed hurt the whole season, probably because I was trying to come back too soon."[42]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Clayton, John (2007-02-26). "NFL/DRAFT07 - Clayton: Johnson impresses at combine". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2007-02-27. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Calvin Johnson's Georgia Tech profile". RamblinWreck.com. Retrieved 2007-02-18.
  3. ^ Thomason, Kyle (2004-10-29). "Talented freshmen earn playing time, contribute". The Technique. Retrieved 2007-05-17. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ Glier, Ray (2006-08-28). "Georgia Tech's star receiver just can't miss". USA Today. Retrieved 2007-09-17. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ "Freshman Faces in the Crowd". The Technique. 2004-09-24. Retrieved 2007-05-17. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ a b "Johnson to Enter NFL Draft". RamblinWreck.com. 2007-01-08. Retrieved 2007-02-18. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ "ACC Leaders". NCAASports.com. Retrieved 2007-02-18.
  8. ^ Finder, Chuck (2006-12-30). "Gator Bowl: Georgia Tech receiver is tops". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2007-08-10. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ^ Kiper, Mel (2007-01-01). "West Virginia vs. Georgia Tech: ESPN's Take". ESPN. go.com. Retrieved 2007-08-10. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. ^ a b c d "Lions Sign First-Round Draft Pick WR Calvin Johnson". Detroit Lions. 2007-08-03. Retrieved 2007-08-25. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ "NCAA Football 07: Top 25 Wide Receivers". IGN. 2006-06-09. Retrieved 2007-02-18. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ Kantheti, Usha (2006-09-22). "Playing locally, serving globally". The Technique. Retrieved 2007-02-18. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. ^ "Students work to improve sanitation in developing countries". The Whistle. Georgia Tech Institute Communications and Public Affairs. 2006-08-05. Retrieved 2008-05-31. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. ^ a b "Calvin Johnson Tackles Global Sanitation Problems" (Press release). Georgia Institute of Technology. 2006-09-01. Retrieved 2007-02-18. {{cite press release}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  15. ^ "Appropriate Technology Design Team". Georgia Tech Cyberbuzz. Retrieved 2008-05-31.
  16. ^ "NFL Midseason Draft Projection: #1, Calvin Johnson". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2007-02-18.
  17. ^ Heerji, Asif (2007-01-19). "Johnson chooses NFL". The Technique. Retrieved 2007-02-18. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  18. ^ "Mel Kiper's Big Board". Espn.com. Retrieved 2007-02-18.
  19. ^ Horwedel, Chris (2007-03-13). "Top 200 Prospects". NFL Draft Blitz. Retrieved 2007-03-19. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  20. ^ Stroud, Rick (2007-02-14). "Georgia Tech's Johnson seen as a can't-miss WR". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 2007-02-18. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  21. ^ Newberry, Paul (2007-02-28). "Calvin Johnson believes he's the best player in the NFL draft". Yahoo! Sports. Associated Press. Retrieved 2007-03-08. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  22. ^ Brandt, Gil. "Individual Workouts". NFL.com. Retrieved 2007-03-21.
  23. ^ a b "Johnson Goes to Detroit with No. 2 Pick". RamblinWreck.com. Georgia Tech Alumni Association. 2007-04-28. Retrieved 2007-04-29. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  24. ^ Householder, Mike (2007-04-29). "Lions Go On Offense With WR Johnson, QB Stanton". Fox 2 News Detroit. Retrieved 2007-04-29. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  25. ^ Cotsonika, Nicholas (2007-04-29). "Lions' catch is definite keeper". freep.com. Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2007-04-29. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  26. ^ "Top 10 Draft Surprises: The Lions don't trade Calvin Johnson". Sports Illustrated. 2007-04-29. Retrieved 2007-04-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  27. ^ "Lions' draft pick wide receiver Calvin Johnson on team cam". NFL.com. 2007-04-29. Retrieved 2007-04-30. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  28. ^ Kowalski, Tom (2007-04-29). "Calvin Johnson to throw first pitch at Tigers game". Lions Insider. Retrieved 2007-05-05. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  29. ^ *Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech - 2007 NFL Draft Scout Profile, Powered by The SportsXchange
  30. ^ Smith, Michael David (2007-05-20). "Lions Move Minicamp So Calvin Johnson Can Participate". The Fanhouse. AOL Sports. Retrieved 2007-05-21. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  31. ^ a b Cotsonika, Nicholas (2007-08-03). "Lions sign WR Calvin Johnson". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2007-08-03. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  32. ^ "Lions sign WR Calvin Johnson". seattlepi.com. 2007-08-03. Retrieved 2007-08-03. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  33. ^ "Lions sign No. 2 pick WR Johnson". NFL.com. 2007-08-03. Retrieved 2007-08-03. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  34. ^ "High draft choices already outearning top vets". NFL.com. 2007-07-31. Retrieved 2007-08-03. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  35. ^ Hummer, Steve (2007-09-10). "Johnson takes it all in stride in Lions debut". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved 2007-09-11. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  36. ^ VanOchten, Brian (2007-09-09). "Williams saves TD ball for Johnson". The Grand Rapids Press. MLive.com. Retrieved 2007-09-11. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  37. ^ Cotsonika, Nicholas J (2007-09-09). "Lion Calvin Johnson focuses on the game, rookie of the year, not the hype". Detroit Free Press. freep.com. Retrieved 2007-09-11. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  38. ^ Associated Press (2007-09-24). "Lions check themselves after blowout loss in Philadelphia". mlive.com. Retrieved 2007-09-24. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  39. ^ "Quick Take: Lions capitalize on Bucs' errors". NFL Game Center. nfl.com. 2007-10-21. Retrieved 2007-10-21. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  40. ^ Large, Larry (2007-10-22). "Calvin Johnson shows why Lions made him No. 2 pick in the draft". mlive.com. Retrieved 2007-10-23. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  41. ^ "Lions' Johnson: Back injury lingered all season". mlive.com. 2008-04-20. Retrieved 2008-05-31. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  42. ^ "Calvin Johnson ready for big numbers". mlive.com. 2008-04-20. Retrieved 2008-05-31. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
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