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Calvin Johnson (American football)
Encyclopedia
Calvin Johnson, Jr. is an American football
wide receiver
for the Detroit Lions
of the National Football League
(NFL). He was drafted by the Lions second overall in the 2007 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Georgia Tech
.
Johnson has a rare combination of size, hands, speed, strength, leaping ability, body control and hand-eye coordination
. He has been nicknamed "Megatron
" by Lions coaches and fans.
, Georgia
. Johnson was 6 feet tall in middle school, and 6 feet 4 inches in 10th grade. 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. His number, 81, was retired on October 22, 2010.
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.
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. 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 writer.
In his career at Georgia Tech wearing number 21, Johnson made a case for being the greatest Georgia Tech receiver of all time. Johnson had 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.
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. Against the West Virginia Mountaineers
in the Toyota Gator Bowl, Johnson had nine catches for 186 yards and two touchdowns, albeit in a losing effort.
s, or a project building solar latrines to improve sanitation in Bolivia. Johnson chose the latter, as he wanted to help the less fortunate. The "solar latrines" use the sun’s rays to safely transform bacteria-laden waste into fertilizer.
Projection #1 pick, though Johnson had stated that he intended to earn his degree from Georgia Tech. On January 8, 2007, Johnson declared himself eligible for the NFL Draft, bypassing his senior season at Georgia Tech. He was regarded as the best athlete to come out of the draft and was the #1 player on most draft boards. Johnson was said by ESPN
to be able to be productive as a rookie, much like receiver Randy Moss
was as a rookie. In a mid-February workout with speed and conditioning coach Mark Pearsall, Johnson clocked a remarkable 4.33 second 40-yard dash, 10.23 second 100-meter sprint, recorded an 11-foot standing broad jump, and had a vertical leap of 43 inches.
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. 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. 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. 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
.
Johnson was selected by the Detroit Lions as the 2nd pick overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. This is the highest a Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket has ever been drafted. The Lions were expected to trade Johnson, most likely to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
, but the team announced that they were keeping him. The next day the Detroit Tigers
invited him to throw out the first pitch.
'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. 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. He was represented by agent James "Bus" Cook
. The contract is worth up to $64 million, with $27.2 million in guaranteed money, making Johnson the third highest-paid player in Lions history (the highest at the time, since passed by Matthew Stafford
and Ndamukong Suh
) and the highest-paid receiver (in guaranteed money) in the NFL.
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
. He sustained a lower back injury after making a catch over two Philadelphia Eagles
defenders on September 23, 2007. He scored his first NFL rushing touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
on October 21, 2007 on a 32-yard reverse play. Fellow teammate Roy Williams
nicknamed Johnson "Megatron", due to his large hands being similar to that of the towering Decepticon
. The nickname caught on well with fans. Williams later changed the nickname to "Bolt" after Jamaican sprinting phenom Usain Bolt
, comparing the two athletes' similar height and running abilities. Johnson finished the 2007 season with 756 yards and 5 total touchdowns.
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." Johnson averaged 15.8 yards on 48 catches in the 2007 season.
Johnson and the Lions faced the Atlanta Falcons
on the road on September 7 to begin the season. As the official starting wide receiver behind Roy Williams, Johnson had a good performance leading the team in receptions and yards, collecting 7 catches for 107 yards which included one 38-yard catch-and-run in the Lions' 34–21 loss. Johnson had another good game during week 2 versus the Green Bay Packers
where he had two key touchdowns late in the game which sparked a large comeback late in the game, though the Lions eventually lost the game, 48–25. Both touchdowns catches included a run after the catch (the first catch going for 38 yards and the second going for 47 yards, both over the middle) displaying Johnson's coveted speed and breakaway ability. He ended the game with 6 receptions for 129 and 2 touchdowns. In the following two games, losses to San Francisco
and Chicago
, Johnson failed to score a touchdown and gain over 50 yards receiving. However, against the Minnesota Vikings
, Johnson had 4 receptions for 85 yards and his third touchdown of the season.
On October 14, before the week 6 trade deadline, Roy Williams was traded to the Dallas Cowboys for a 1st, 3rd and 7th-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, making Johnson the Lions' starting wide receiver and the last big threat on the offense. In his first game without Roy Williams alongside him in the week 7 game against the Houston Texans
, Johnson had caught only 2 passes, however, totaling 154 yards receiving; the first pass didn't come until Dan Orlovsky
threw a pass up for grabs at the end of the 1st half which Johnson caught for 58 yards and the second pass came on a 96-yard touchdown catch-and-run. With Williams gone and starting quarterback Jon Kitna lost to injury for the season, the Texans defense had little to do to stop the Lions' offense but shut down Johnson, winning the game 28–21.
Johnson set a career-high for receptions in a game during the week 9 matchup against their division rivals, the Chicago Bears
, with 8 receptions that garnered 94 yards and one touchdown, although still losing the game 27–23. During week 10, formerly retired All-Pro quarterback Daunte Culpepper
was signed to a 1-year contract with the Lions in hopes to spur the offense and earned the starting job for the next 2 games. Johnson ended his first game with Culpepper at quarterback with 2 receptions for 92 yards in a 38–14 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars
. In Johnson's 4th game with Culpepper, he had 5 catches for 66 yards. During the week 14 matchup against the division rival Minnesota Vikings, Johnson passed the 1,000-yards receiving mark for the first time in his career after collecting 3 catches for 84 yards and one touchdown, ending the week with 1,055 yards receiving and 9 touchdowns on the season.
Johnson and the 2008 Detroit Lions finished the first ever 0–16 season in NFL history after a 31–21 loss to the Green Bay Packers in week 17. Despite the Lions' failures, Johnson finished as one of the strongest wide receivers, statistically, for the season, finishing 5th in receiving yards (1,331), 7th in receiving yards per game (83.2), and leading the league in receiving touchdowns (12). However, Johnson missed the Pro Bowl with most experts attributing the snub to the Lions dismal winless season (he was named an alternate instead).
, Johnson caught a pass with 31 seconds left in regulation in the end zone for what looked like a game winning touchdown. However, referee Gene Steratore
ruled the catch incomplete, saying that Johnson had not maintained possession of the ball through the entire process of the catch. The Lions would lose the game 14-19.
Johnson amassed 77 receptions for 1,120 yards and 12 TDs during 2010. He was also selected to the first Pro Bowl of his career on December 28. Following the 2010 season, Johnson was the recipient of the Lions/Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association/Pro Football Writers Association (Detroit Chapter) Media-Friendly Good Guy Award.
, Johnson helped rally the lions from a 24-point deficit to a 34-30 victory by catching two touchdown passes in the 4th quarter. This performance gave Johnson 8 touchdown receptions through the first 4 games of the season and tied Cris Carter
for most games with multiple touchdown receptions at 4.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
for the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL). He was drafted by the Lions second overall in the 2007 NFL Draft
2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represents the Georgia Institute of Technology in collegiate level football. While the team is officially designated as the Yellow Jackets, it is also referred to as the Ramblin' Wreck. The Yellow Jackets are a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
.
Johnson has a rare combination of size, hands, speed, strength, leaping ability, body control and hand-eye coordination
Eye–hand coordination
Eye–hand coordination is the coordinated control of eye movement with hand movement, and the processing of visual input to guide reaching and grasping along with the use of proprioception of the hands to guide the eyes. In simple terms, eye-hand coordination involves the coordinated vision and...
. He has been nicknamed "Megatron
Megatron
Megatron is a character from the Transformers franchise, created by toy companies Hasbro and Takara. He is the primary antagonist and leader of the "evil" faction in most of the various Transformers universes.-Design:...
" by Lions coaches and fans.
Early years
Johnson was born to Calvin and Arica Johnson on September 25, 1985 in NewnanNewnan, Georgia
Newnan is a city in Coweta County, Georgia, about 30 miles southwest of Atlanta. The population was 16,242 at the 2000 Census. Newnan is one of the fastest growing cities in Georgia, with an estimated population of 27,097 in 2006 and 33,293 in July 2008...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. Johnson was 6 feet tall in middle school, and 6 feet 4 inches in 10th grade. He attended Sandy Creek High School
Sandy Creek High School
Sandy Creek High School or SCHS is located in Tyrone, Georgia, United States.Sandy Creek serves Tyrone, northern Fayetteville, and small northern portions of Fairburn and Peachtree City...
in Tyrone, Georgia
Tyrone, Georgia
Tyrone is a town in Fayette County, Georgia, United States. The population was 3,916 at the 2000 census. Census Estimates for 2005 show a population of 5,789.It was named after County Tyrone in Ireland.-Geography:...
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. His number, 81, was retired on October 22, 2010.
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.
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. 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 writer.
College career
As a freshman in 2004, Johnson was named first-team All-ACC
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
. 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
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
in the Champs Sports Bowl
Champs Sports Bowl
The Champs Sports Bowl is an annual college football bowl game that is played in Orlando, Florida, at the Citrus Bowl. The bowl is operated by Florida Citrus Sports, a non-profit group which also organizes the Capital One Bowl and Florida Classic...
, 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
Fred Biletnikoff Award
The Fred Biletnikoff Award has been presented since 1994 to America's top college football receiver by the TQC Foundation, Inc. , an independent not-for-profit organization which created the award in 1994 and has sponsored it since...
. 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
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
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. Against the West Virginia Mountaineers
West Virginia Mountaineers
The West Virginia Mountaineers are the athletic teams of West Virginia University. The school is a member of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Big East Conference. On July 1, 2012 the Mountaineers will switch conferences, moving from the Big East to the Big 12, becoming...
in the Toyota Gator Bowl, Johnson had nine catches for 186 yards and two touchdowns, albeit in a losing effort.
College awards and honors
- First-team Freshman All-American 2004
- All-American 20052005 College Football All-America TeamThe 2005 College Football All-America Team is composed of the following All-American Teams: Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Foundation, The Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Pro Football Weekly, ESPN, CBS Sports, College...
and 20062006 College Football All-America TeamThe 2006 College Football All-America Team is composed of the following All-American Teams: Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Foundation, The Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Pro Football Weekly, CBS Sports, ESPN, College... - First-Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference, 2004, 2005 and 2006
- ACC Rookie of the Year, 2004
- ACC Player of the Year, 2006
- Four-time ACC Rookie of the Week
- Best Wide Receiver in the nation by IGNIGNIGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
.com, via NCAA Football 07NCAA Football 07NCAA Football 07 is a collegiate football video game published by Electronic Arts. The product features former USC player Reggie Bush on the cover... - Biletnikoff Award, 2006
- Paul Warfield Trophy, 2006
- 10th 2006 Heisman Vote- 43 total votes(76 Rec, 1202 Yds, 15.8 Avg, 15 TD)
Academic activities
During the 2006 summer, Johnson, who majored in management with a background in building construction, was given the option of working on either constructing environmentally friendly luxury condoCondominium
A condominium, or condo, is the form of housing tenure and other real property where a specified part of a piece of real estate is individually owned while use of and access to common facilities in the piece such as hallways, heating system, elevators, exterior areas is executed under legal rights...
s, or a project building solar latrines to improve sanitation in Bolivia. Johnson chose the latter, as he wanted to help the less fortunate. The "solar latrines" use the sun’s rays to safely transform bacteria-laden waste into fertilizer.
Professional career
2007 NFL Draft
Coming out of college, Calvin Johnson was hyped to be one of the best college wide receivers of all time. Calvin Johnson was SI.com's Midseason NFL DraftNFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
Projection #1 pick, though Johnson had stated that he intended to earn his degree from Georgia Tech. On January 8, 2007, Johnson declared himself eligible for the NFL Draft, bypassing his senior season at Georgia Tech. He was regarded as the best athlete to come out of the draft and was the #1 player on most draft boards. Johnson was said by ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
to be able to be productive as a rookie, much like receiver Randy Moss
Randy Moss
Randy Gene Moss is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
was as a rookie. In a mid-February workout with speed and conditioning coach Mark Pearsall, Johnson clocked a remarkable 4.33 second 40-yard dash, 10.23 second 100-meter sprint, recorded an 11-foot standing broad jump, and had a vertical leap of 43 inches.
Johnson surprised many when he weighed in at 239 pounds at the combine
NFL Combine
The National Invitational Camp or NFL Scouting Combine, as it is more widely known, is a week-long showcase, occurring every February in Indianapolis, Indiana's Lucas Oil Stadium , where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Football League coaches, general...
, 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. 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. 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. 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
Standing long jump
The standing long jump is an athletics event. It was an Olympic event until 1912.In performing the standing long jump, the jumper stands at a line marked on the ground with their feet slightly apart. The athlete takes off and lands using both feet, swinging their arms and bending their knees to...
I can ever remember an NFL prospect having," according to Gil Brandt
Gil Brandt
Gil Brandt was a Vice President of player personnel for the Dallas Cowboys from 1960 to 1988.Brandt served as the Cowboys' chief talent scout since the club's birth in 1960. He had served as a part-time scout for the Los Angeles Rams under General Manager Tex Schramm in the 1950s...
.
Johnson was selected by the Detroit Lions as the 2nd pick overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. This is the highest a Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket has ever been drafted. The Lions were expected to trade Johnson, most likely to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
, but the team announced that they were keeping him. The next day the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
invited him to throw out the first pitch.
2007 season
Johnson attended ReebokReebok
Reebok International Limited, a subsidiary of the German sportswear company Adidas since 2005, is a producer of Athletic shoes, apparel, and accessories. The name comes from the Afrikaans spelling of rhebok, a type of African antelope or gazelle...
'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. 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. He was represented by agent James "Bus" Cook
James "Bus" Cook
James "Bus" Cook is an NFL sports agent.Some of Cooks' notable clients have included Brett Favre, Calvin Johnson, Randy Moss, Marcedes Lewis, Adalius Thomas, Jerious Norwood, Tony Scheffler, Jay Cutler, Cam Newton and the late Steve McNair.-Early Life:...
. The contract is worth up to $64 million, with $27.2 million in guaranteed money, making Johnson the third highest-paid player in Lions history (the highest at the time, since passed by Matthew Stafford
Matthew Stafford
John Matthew Stafford is an American football quarterback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Lions first overall in the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Georgia....
and Ndamukong Suh
Ndamukong Suh
Ndamukong Suh is an American football defensive tackle for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Lions 2nd overall in the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Nebraska....
) and the highest-paid receiver (in guaranteed money) in the NFL.
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
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He sustained a lower back injury after making a catch over two Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
defenders on September 23, 2007. He scored his first NFL rushing touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
on October 21, 2007 on a 32-yard reverse play. Fellow teammate Roy Williams
Roy Williams (wide receiver)
Roy Eugene Williams, Jr. is an American football wide receiver who is currently a member of the Chicago Bears. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions seventh overall in the 2004 NFL Draft...
nicknamed Johnson "Megatron", due to his large hands being similar to that of the towering Decepticon
Decepticon
The Decepticons are usually depicted as the antagonists in the fictional universes of the Transformers stoyline and related comics and cartoons, and the enemies of the Autobots and the University of California Davis Aggies...
. The nickname caught on well with fans. Williams later changed the nickname to "Bolt" after Jamaican sprinting phenom Usain Bolt
Usain Bolt
The Honourable Usain St. Leo Bolt, OJ, C.D. , is a Jamaican sprinter and a five-time World and three-time Olympic gold medalist. He is the world record and Olympic record holder in the 100 metres, the 200 metres and the 4×100 metres relay...
, comparing the two athletes' similar height and running abilities. Johnson finished the 2007 season with 756 yards and 5 total touchdowns.
2008 season
Johnson said he could "still feel" the lower-back injury that bothered him throughout his rookie season. Johnson took five weeks off after the 2007 season and was taking part in the Lions' offseason program. "I know it's there but it doesn't hurt," he said. Johnson revealed that he needed VicodinVicodin
Hydrocodone/paracetamol is a combination of two analgesic products hydrocodone and paracetamol used to relieve moderate to severe pain...
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." Johnson averaged 15.8 yards on 48 catches in the 2007 season.
Johnson and the Lions faced the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
on the road on September 7 to begin the season. As the official starting wide receiver behind Roy Williams, Johnson had a good performance leading the team in receptions and yards, collecting 7 catches for 107 yards which included one 38-yard catch-and-run in the Lions' 34–21 loss. Johnson had another good game during week 2 versus the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
where he had two key touchdowns late in the game which sparked a large comeback late in the game, though the Lions eventually lost the game, 48–25. Both touchdowns catches included a run after the catch (the first catch going for 38 yards and the second going for 47 yards, both over the middle) displaying Johnson's coveted speed and breakaway ability. He ended the game with 6 receptions for 129 and 2 touchdowns. In the following two games, losses to San Francisco
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
and Chicago
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Johnson failed to score a touchdown and gain over 50 yards receiving. However, against the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
, Johnson had 4 receptions for 85 yards and his third touchdown of the season.
On October 14, before the week 6 trade deadline, Roy Williams was traded to the Dallas Cowboys for a 1st, 3rd and 7th-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, making Johnson the Lions' starting wide receiver and the last big threat on the offense. In his first game without Roy Williams alongside him in the week 7 game against the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Johnson had caught only 2 passes, however, totaling 154 yards receiving; the first pass didn't come until Dan Orlovsky
Dan Orlovsky
Daniel John Orlovsky is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. The Detroit Lions drafted Orlovsky in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
threw a pass up for grabs at the end of the 1st half which Johnson caught for 58 yards and the second pass came on a 96-yard touchdown catch-and-run. With Williams gone and starting quarterback Jon Kitna lost to injury for the season, the Texans defense had little to do to stop the Lions' offense but shut down Johnson, winning the game 28–21.
Johnson set a career-high for receptions in a game during the week 9 matchup against their division rivals, the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, with 8 receptions that garnered 94 yards and one touchdown, although still losing the game 27–23. During week 10, formerly retired All-Pro quarterback Daunte Culpepper
Daunte Culpepper
Daunte Rachard Culpepper is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He last played for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League . Prior to joining the UFL, Culpepper enjoyed a successful National Football League career after being drafted 11th overall in...
was signed to a 1-year contract with the Lions in hopes to spur the offense and earned the starting job for the next 2 games. Johnson ended his first game with Culpepper at quarterback with 2 receptions for 92 yards in a 38–14 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. In Johnson's 4th game with Culpepper, he had 5 catches for 66 yards. During the week 14 matchup against the division rival Minnesota Vikings, Johnson passed the 1,000-yards receiving mark for the first time in his career after collecting 3 catches for 84 yards and one touchdown, ending the week with 1,055 yards receiving and 9 touchdowns on the season.
Johnson and the 2008 Detroit Lions finished the first ever 0–16 season in NFL history after a 31–21 loss to the Green Bay Packers in week 17. Despite the Lions' failures, Johnson finished as one of the strongest wide receivers, statistically, for the season, finishing 5th in receiving yards (1,331), 7th in receiving yards per game (83.2), and leading the league in receiving touchdowns (12). However, Johnson missed the Pro Bowl with most experts attributing the snub to the Lions dismal winless season (he was named an alternate instead).
2009 season
Johnson finished the 2009 season with 67 receptions 984 yards and 5 TDs, while completely missing 2 games.2010 season
In a week 1 game against the Chicago Bears2010 Chicago Bears season
The 2010 Chicago Bears season was the franchise's 91st season overall in the National Football League. Coming off a disappointing 7–9 record in the 2009 season and failing to qualify for the NFL playoffs for a third consecutive season, the Bears sought to develop their roster and improve on...
, Johnson caught a pass with 31 seconds left in regulation in the end zone for what looked like a game winning touchdown. However, referee Gene Steratore
Gene Steratore
Gene Steratore is an American football official in the National Football League since 2003. He began in the league as a field judge and was promoted to referee at the start of the 2006 NFL season, one of two new referees for that season, following the retirements of Bernie Kukar and Tom White...
ruled the catch incomplete, saying that Johnson had not maintained possession of the ball through the entire process of the catch. The Lions would lose the game 14-19.
Johnson amassed 77 receptions for 1,120 yards and 12 TDs during 2010. He was also selected to the first Pro Bowl of his career on December 28. Following the 2010 season, Johnson was the recipient of the Lions/Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association/Pro Football Writers Association (Detroit Chapter) Media-Friendly Good Guy Award.
2011 season
In a week 4 game against the Dallas Cowboys2011 Dallas Cowboys season
The 2011 Dallas Cowboys season will be the Cowboys' 52nd season in the NFL, the third season playing their home games at Cowboys Stadium and the first full season under head coach Jason Garrett, who served as the interim head coach for the team's final eight games in 2010...
, Johnson helped rally the lions from a 24-point deficit to a 34-30 victory by catching two touchdown passes in the 4th quarter. This performance gave Johnson 8 touchdown receptions through the first 4 games of the season and tied Cris Carter
Cris Carter
Cristopher D. Carter is a former American football player in the National Football League. He played wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles , the Minnesota Vikings and the Miami Dolphins ....
for most games with multiple touchdown receptions at 4.