You cannot stop Megatron; you can only hope
to contain him. We’ve heard all the accolades, been inundated with the hype.
But Calvin Johnson has lived up to the hype, and then some. It’s mind-boggling
that a guy his size (6-foot-5, 239 pounds) can run so fast, jump so high, and
display his level of body control and hand-eye coordination. Calvin Johnson is
the new prototype, the standard by which NFL wide receivers will be judged in
the future. Drafted in 2007, he is easily the best thing to come from the
horrendous Matt Millen era. 2011 was Johnson’s best statistical season, racking
up 1,681 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns. His clutch performance against the
Cowboys in week four was especially memorable, scoring two touchdowns in the
fourth quarter to lead the Lions to a 34-30 victory despite trailing 24 points
going into the second half. And when the Lions returned to the NFL playoffs for
the first time since 1999, Johnson caught 11 passes for 211 yards and two
touchdowns, crushing the previous Lions playoff receiving record in a losing
effort. With all due respect to our good friend Justin Durant, Calvin Johnson
is the clear pick for best Lions player. His new contract suggests that the top
brass in the Lions organization agree with you. This is a brand-new era of
Lions football, and Calvin Johnson is not only leading the charge, he is
changing the game.
This article appears in Apr 25 – May 1, 2012.
