Now everything seems to be fine between Calvin Johnson and the Detroit Lions.
He Hall of Fame The receiver will be included in The Pride of the Lions team display at Ford Field, which honors the greatest players in franchise history. The ceremony will take place during halftime of Detroit’s Week 4 game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 30.
Johnson was surprised by the announcement during his annual golf tournament at the Detroit Golf Club on Monday. Lions director of football operations Mike Disner broke the good news to him.
Johnson played nine seasons for the Lions, who selected him No. 2 overall. The 2007 NFL Draft from Georgia Tech. He compiled 731 receptions for 11,619 yards and 83 touchdowns, all three franchise records.
Following the announcement, Johnson appeared on FanDuel TV’s “Up and Adams” with Kay Adams and received a video message from CBS’s Nate Burleson, her teammate from 2010 to 2013.
During his career, Johnson twice led the NFL in receiving yards, setting the record for most receiving yards in a single season with 1,964 in 2012. He also led the league in receptions that season with 122 and tied for the lead in receiving touchdowns in 2008. Johnson was named First Team All-Pro three times and is a six-time Pro Bowler.
In 2021Johnson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
Adding Johnson to the 20 players honored at Pride of the Lions is perhaps the grandest gesture yet to show that the relationship between him and the team has been fully repaired after years of estrangement following Johnson’s retirement in 2016. Tensions turned ugly when the Lions attempted to recoup $1.6 million of Johnson’s signing bonus when he retired before his contract expired.
However, resentments have softened in recent years as management, led by team owner Sheila Ford Hamp, He made efforts to reconcile with one of the franchise’s all-time greats. Johnson appeared at Ford Field during last season’s playoff win over the Los Angeles Rams (and former quarterback Matthew Stafford), indicating that any hard feelings had been resolved.
“We are thrilled to add Calvin Johnson Jr. to the Lions Pride,” said Lions President and CEO Rod Wood. an official statement“His commitment on the field and to the city of Detroit is legendary and this is a well-deserved honor. We are proud that he will forever be remembered inside Ford Field and as a Detroit Lion.”
