Detroit Lions: Thank you, Megatron

Detroit Lions wideout Calvin Johnson plans to retire. Johnson will go down as one of the best wide receivers ever and he will be missed.

It’s officially the end of an era for the Detroit Lions.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Johnson informed the Lions he plans to retire. The 30-year-old wide receiver will be missed dearly by Lions fans, as well as anyone who’s been familiar with the NFL since 2007.

Johnson entered the league as the second overall pick in the 2007 draft. People expected big things from Johnson, and it was apparent from an early stage. During Johnson’s rookie season, his teammate Roy Williams dubbed the kid from Georgia Tech as “Megatron.”

“I’ve never seen anything like him,” Williams said in September of 2007, according to Justin Rogers of MLive.com. “He’s a big, strong, physical, fast guy.”

The new nickname was extraordinarily appropriate. The NFL hadn’t seen a receiver with the physical gifts Johnson possessed since Randy Moss entered the league. The 6’5″ Johnson played with sub-4.4 speed, tremendous hands and an unworldly ability to out jump defenders.

Johnson started his career off on the right foot, catching 48 balls for 756 yards and four touchdowns. The play-making ability was obviously there, but Johnson didn’t become a superstar until 2008. With Dan Orlovsky, Jon Kitna and Drew Stanton throwing the ball, Johnson managed to catch 78 passes for 1,331 yards and 12 touchdowns.

He put the league on notice and started putting himself in the conversation of best receiver in the league. The following year Johnson missed two games and didn’t crack 1,000 yards. That was the last time he never eclipsed the century mark.

Detroit went out and got its superstar receiver a much-needed quarterback. The result? A scary, almost unbelievable stat line.

Over the next six years, Megatron caught 538 passes for 8,548 yards and 63 touchdowns. There were times when nobody could cover him. The old, half-joking adage was that even when Johnson was covered, he was open.

Johnson was obviously more than just stats, though. The attention he got from defenses freed up his teammates. Megatron single-handedly had to make defensive coordinators add specific adjustments to their game plans.

I’m sure you can easily find clips on YouTube of Matthew Stafford just chucking deep balls to Johnson, knowing his talented receiver was going to make a play. One particular play stands out to me, and that’s the catch Johnson made in triple coverage against the Cowboys. The funny thing is that even though it was in triple coverage, it still wasn’t that ludicrous, simply because of how good Johnson was.

There’s more memorable catches from Johnson’s historic career, including the unfortunate no-catch that gave birth to the “Calvin Johnson Rule.” Aside from spectacular catches, Johnson also has a myriad of records and accomplishments. He’s the fastest player the reach 10,000 receiving yards. He led the NFL in receiving yards on two occasions (2011, 2012). Johnson holds franchise records that will almost certainly stand forever.

The six-time Pro Bowler and three-time First Team All-Pro transcended the standard of receiving in the NFL. The crazy thing is a ‘down’ year for Johnson, like his 2015 season, is a career year for some guys. Even at 30, defensive backs still say he’s one of the toughest guys to cover in all of football. He’s been compared to a small forward who can run routes, and it’s no exaggeration saying defensive backs dreaded facing Megatron.

Dec 27, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson (81) turns with the ball during the fourth quarter as San Francisco 49ers inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman (53) looks on at Ford Field. Lions win 32-17. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /

Johnson has been the most constant thing the Lions have had since Barry Sanders. In an almost cruel, ironic twist, Sanders, like Johnson walked away from the game when he was 30. It’s disappointing that Detroit lost the two best players in its history when they had a lot of good years left.

But like Sanders, Johnson no longer has anything to prove to anybody. He’s not a player who necessarily cares about personal accolades. He’s a lock to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, and the best receiver of this generation, after all.

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Johnson’s body is hurt, though. I applaud his decision to prepare for the future and make the best choice for his longterm health.

It’s a terrible shame Johnson never had a long playoff run, only appearing in the postseason twice. He endured an 0-16 season and a string of terrible losses while playing on a team that was never good enough to do anything in the postseason.

Perhaps the greatest thing about Johnson is his character. Throughout his career Megatron was a consummate professional and a true sportsman. He wasn’t a loquacious receiver like Terrell Owens. He went about his business and showed other players tremendous respect.

Writer’s note:

Seeing Johnson walk away from the game at the age of 30 is a bittersweet feeling, but it’s definitely a reminder that professional athletes are indeed, human. Growing up, I had a series of favorite players, like any kid. I loved watching two guys play more than anybody, though, and those two players were LaDainian Tomlinson and Calvin Johnson.

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In my personal opinion, the only receivers whom I would put ahead of Johnson are Jerry Rice and Randy Moss.

Thanks for the memories and for leaving it all on the field, Megatron.

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