Greatest Yellow Jackets in the NFL: Calvin Johnson

A profile of one of the greatest Yellow Jackets to play in the NFL: Calvin Johnson

Calvin Johnson was a once in a lifetime type player for Georgia Tech. He established himself as one of the greatest in Yellow Jackets history by breaking school records, making spectacular one-handed grabs, and being named a First-Team All-America - twice. 

Johnson impressed scouts in the 2007 NFL Combine when he ran the 40-yard dash in an astounding 4.35 seconds. Aside from his impeccable speed, Johnson's recorded size at 6'5 and 239 pounds had cornerbacks across the league cringing and teams wanting more.

He became the highest player in Tech history to be drafted when the Detroit Lions selected Johnson with the second overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. 

During Johnson's nine year career with the Detroit Lions, he broke several franchise and NFL receiving records. In 2012, Johnson broke the NFL's record of most receiving yards in a single season (1,964). He also became the fastest player in NFL history to reach 10,000 receiving yards (115 games). Johnson became the Lions' leader for most receiving touchdowns in a season when he scored 16 times in 2011, among other franchise records.

Before retiring in 2016, he was six-time Pro Bowl selection (2010-15) and made the First-Team All-Pro roster three times (2011-13). He amassed 11,619 yards and 83 touchdowns and averaged 86.1 yards per game to finish his pro career.  

The receiver known as Megatron had one of his biggest games on December 22, 2012 when he broke Jerry Rice’s single season receiving yards record against the Atlanta Falcons. Entering the game, Johnson was shy of the record by 182 yards. Johnson surpassed Rice on a 26-yard catch in the fourth quarter. The same night, he set the league's record for consecutive 100-yard games (eight) and consecutive games (four) with 10 or more catches. 

In April, Johnson was named to the NFL's All-Decade Team for 2010-19. He is considered one of the best wideouts in NFL history. 

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