Getty Calvin Johnson following a win in 2014 over the Vikings.
Getting fitted with a gold jacket is every NFL player’s dream when they begin their career, and Calvin Johnson has officially joined that exclusive club.
The former Detroit Lions wide receiver had the moment of a lifetime in Canton, and he was officially welcomed into the club with the major honor of his jacket.
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On Friday, August 7, Johnson officially took his place in the Hall of Fame with after he was presented with the jacket, which fit him very well. Here’s a look at the moment that Johnson slipped on the coat for the first time as shared by the Hall of Fame:
.@calvinjohnsonjr receives his Gold Jacket from his presenter and former teammate, Derrick Moore.
On Sunday, Johnson will officially join the Hall of Fame and will unveil a speech which will recap his career. Don’t expect to hear much about his former team in the speech, but even such, it’s nice to see him taking his rightful place in the Hall of Fame.
Johnson Still Feuding With Lions
Johnson walked away from the Lions in March of 2016 with three years left on the contract extension he originally signed in 2012. As a result of that, the Lions made him pay back a portion of the signing bonus that he received as is their right, which was a controversial business decision. Other teams have elected to allow star players to keep their signing bonuses such as when quarterback Andrew Luck abruptly retired and the Indianapolis Colts didn’t come after him for big money. As ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported, the Colts eventually settled with Luck and did not force him to pay back a major sum. The opposite happened in Detroit’s case with their star.
When this played out, there were some major hard feelings between the wideout and the front office as well as ownership. After Johnson retired, he has kept his distance from the team, even as many within the front office wanted him to patch things up with them prior to his Hall of Fame enshrinement.
Johnson’s Career Statistics
Since he came into the league with the Lions in 2007, Johnson wasted little time putting up great plays and amazing statistics. In his career, Johnson put up 11,619 yards and 83 touchdowns and more than that, was a human highlight reel unlike any other receiver on the list. Out of Georgia Tech, Johnson was labeled as one of the freakiest players in the draft and he lived up to that distinction in the NFL.
Johnson shattered Rice’s record of 1,848 receiving yards during the 2012 season and was a stable force for the team, often playing through pain and discomfort on the field. He walked away following the 2015 season, leaving a gaping hole in Detroit’s wideout group. Since, Johnson has been embroiled in a feud with the Lions for the last few seasons over money that the team made him pay back upon retirement.
Regardless of all that, it’s great to see Johnson being able to get the honor of a lifetime and take his place amongst the true legends of the game.
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