Jesus Martinez | Main Columnist
On January 30, 2016, Calvin Johnson announced his retirement from the NFL. A young man from the likes of Newman, Georgia, Calvin Johnson was one of the most exciting players in the NFL. Arguably one of the best wide receivers of our generation, we all knew that he was going to be special.
Going out of high school, he was a 5 star recruit from Sandy Creek (GA), had numerous scholarship offers, but decided to stay hometown and go to Georgia Tech. A three year starter, he broke several school records. As a junior. he was selected as a first team All-American, won the Biletnikoff Award as the nations best wide receiver, and finished with 1200 yards and 15 TD's.
Going out of high school, he was a 5 star recruit from Sandy Creek (GA), had numerous scholarship offers, but decided to stay hometown and go to Georgia Tech. A three year starter, he broke several school records. As a junior. he was selected as a first team All-American, won the Biletnikoff Award as the nations best wide receiver, and finished with 1200 yards and 15 TD's.
On January , 2007, he declared for the NFL Draft, and was selected 2nd overall by the Detroit Lions. His career was filled with promise as he finished with 11, 619 receiving yards and 83 TD's over an 8 year stretch. He was a five time Pro-Bowler, and currently holds the single season wide receiver yardage record with 1964 yards, passing Jerry Rice. Although he was only 30, it is quite understandable why he retired, since lingering injuries have hampered his season and affected his play. The retirement it wasn't as shocking as Barry, but just as painful; he was one of the most exciting players to watch throughout this decade.
This leads to a new path in the career of Johnson. However, the Lions are immensely effected by this, as they now lose a key player in their offense. After going 7-9 and missing the playoffs, this is a huge blow. New President Rod Wood remains optimistic, stating they need to be prepared in situations like this. In an interview with Crains Detroit Business, he claims “You have to be prepared for that. You have to have someone in the queue to take his role,” Wood said. “That’s what is so great about Bob Quinn and Patriots: They always have the next guy ready.” For now, we look back at one of the greatest players of the decade, and his impact on the game.
You can't replace someone like him.
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