Getty Calvin Johnson makes a catch in front of Charles Tillman.
The Detroit Lions have a player to watch in terms of Hall of Fame enshrinement in the coming weeks in Calvin Johnson, and there’s nobody that rival players think deserves to get the honor more than the man they called Megatron.
Johnson was a dominating force in the league for years, and as a result, made his share of enemies on the defensive side of the ball. Even such, those same players in rival defensive backfields are now lining up to explain why he should be honored with a bust in Canton, Ohio soon.
Recently, the Lions public relations team did a great job gathering quotes from luminaries on the defensive side of the ball that Johnson routinely matched wits with. Names like Charles Tillman, Aqib Talib, Charles Woodson and Richard Sherman were included. The consensus among the group? Johnson is a slam-dunk to crack the hall.
Does former @Lions WR @calvinjohnsonjr belong in the @ProFootballHOF?
Below are the thoughts from DB @rondebarber, a fellow finalist for the @ProFootballHOF.
Barber is a Super Bowl Champion, member of the #NFL 2000s All-Decade Team, a 5x Pro Bowler & 3x 1st-Team AP All-Pro.
Below is #Cardinals CB @P2‘s take on former @Lions WR @calvinjohnsonjr‘s candidacy.
Peterson is an 8-time Pro Bowler, 3-time First-Team AP All-Pro selection and member of the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team.
Below is CB @RSherman_25‘s take on why former @Lions WR @calvinjohnsonjr‘s belongs in the @ProFootballHOF.
Sherman is a Super Bowl Champion, 5x Pro Bowler, 3x First-Team AP All-Pro and NFL 2010s All-Decade Team selection.
Former Bears CB @peanuttillman has glowing praise for former @Lions WR @calvinjohnsonjr & believes he belongs in the @ProFootballHOF.
Tillman was selected to 2 Pro Bowls, was a First-Team AP All-Pro, was the NFL’s 2013 Walter Payton Man of the Year & created 82 career turnovers.
Lastly, fellow @ProFootballHOF finalist @CharlesWoodson also believes former @Lions WR @calvinjohnsonjr belongs in Canton.
Woodson is a 9x Pro Bowler, 4x First-Team AP All-Pro, NFL 2000s All-Decade Team member, NFL Defensive Player of the Year & Super Bowl Champion.
Obviously, it isn’t just Lions fans who have a feeling that Johnson deserves to be enshrined, but players as well. These descriptions of his abilities and careers are quite amazing, and possibly the best comes from Woodson, who pointed out how Johnson was always double-teamed and yet had such an impactful career on the field. That itself might be the best argument for Johnson of them all.
It will be interesting to see what happens next to Johnson’s candidacy in the weeks ahead.
What’s Next For Calvin Johnson’s Hall of Fame Hopes
The next step for Johnson? He will have to make it through another final round of cuts as the list whittles down further from 15. From there, the list will be expected to be between four and eight players who will crack the Hall of Fame at this point, and the Lions and Johnson will learn around the Super Bowl their fate. Johnson will be depending on a group of folks continuing to vote him through and believe in his talent enough to crack the list and be the next to get awarded a gold jacket.
Johnson will have to beat out fellow wideouts Torry Holt and Reggie Wayne to get induction this year, which might be. no easy task given their credentials. If he doesn’t make it this time around, he can be on the ballot again next year.
Calvin Johnson’s Career With Lions
This is a special honor for Johnson given what he did through the years. Over his career, there were few people more productive who changed the game the way Johnson did. He was a physical specimen and also had the stats to match in order to prove his dominance over others who played his position at the time.
After breaking into the league with the Lions back in 2007 when he was a top pick in that season’s draft, Johnson didn’t hesitate to put up great plays and amazing statistics. In his career, Johnson managed a total of 11,619 yards and 83 touchdowns and more than that, was a human highlight reel unlike many other receivers he matches up with on the list. That’s similar to the impact Barry Sanders made. Out of Georgia Tech in college, Johnson was labeled as one of the freakiest players in the draft and he lived up to that distinction in the NFL at nearly every single turn right up until the moment he retired after the 2015 season. It’s rare to see a player not only live up to his draft potential but exceed it, and Johnson did.
Johnson shattered Jerry Rice’s record of 1,848 receiving yards during the 2012 season on the field and was constantly a great player for the team, often playing through pain and discomfort to the delight of his fans. Much like Sanders, Johnson never complained and simply went about his business. That’s why he remains one of the most revered players in franchise history to this day.
It’s not only with Lions players that Johnson is revered, but NFL players as well, This only serves to show the impact he had on the game.
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NFL Legends Explain Why Calvin Johnson Must Crack Hall of Fame