And I remember thinking, Thats it, its over. And I looked over at Sean, and he had this look in his eye like, Its not ending here. . High School: Sandy Creek (GA), Drafted: 1st round (2nd player overall) in 2007 by Detroit. Hes got a looseness, a confidence about him, a knack for calling the right play at the right time, Chadwick said. He ranks first in school history in career receiving yards, second in receptions, first in touchdown receptions, and first in career 100-yard receiving games with 13. On Monday, Jan 18, 2010, the Ridgeland Varsity Boys Basketball team lost their MLK Classic @ MS College game against Murrah High School by a score of 60-72. [228] In his Hall of Fame induction speech, Johnson noted his work with Harvard and the potential for plant-based medicines to "provide an alternative to their destructive counterparts, opioids". But all things come from above, and every time I scored that touchdown, all I did was point up to the sky. Georgia Tech The Lions offered to pay Johnson $500,000 a year for three years to show up and speak at team events and donate an additional $100,000 to a charity of his choice, but he did not accept the offer, stating "they need to figure out a way to do it and not have me work for it. Picture a Friday Night Lights-esque scene, Marist in the third round of the 2003 Georgia 4A playoffs, facing off on a cold night against Shaw, a behemoth of a high school from the southwest corner of the state. An elite private Roman Catholic institution tucked into the green suburbs of north Atlanta, Marist carries a bit of a football tradition of its own, with one state championship and six runner-up honors by the time McVay arrived on campus. [30][31] He started the season with seven receptions for 111 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown in the 1410 loss to Notre Dame. To my beautiful wife, Brittney. McVay, the teams quarterback, cornerback and occasional punter, had driven the War Eagles down to within sight of the Shaw end zone, but had run up hard against the defense on two straight plays. 81. Your motto was my offseason mantra: Stay ready so you don't have to get ready. [23] The game featured Georgia Tech having two 100-yard receivers in the same game for the sixth time in school history, Johnson and Damarius Bilbo, who had 131. [99] During Week 10, formerly retired All-Pro quarterback Daunte Culpepper was signed to a one-year contract with the Lions in hopes to spur the offense and earned the starting job for the next two games. Fridays, with their classes that take forever and pep rallies and anticipation that builds every hour, are the finest days for high school football players. The pain was so severe that I would take whatever I could just to manage the pain to be able to play. It gives me great joy to call all of your friends. [43][44] Johnson had 178 receptions for 2,927 yards and 28 touchdowns during his time with the Yellow Jackets. It was such a sequence of events where I saw her faith in action. He was just looking right through us.. * Selected to Pro Bowl, + First-Team AP All-Pro, Bold indicates league leader, Transaction, fine, and suspension data since 2002. As a dual-threat quarterback, he was one of the best in the state. [101] During the Week 14 match-up against the division rival Minnesota Vikings, Johnson passed the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the first time in his career after collecting three catches for 84 yards and one touchdown, ending the week with 1,055 yards receiving and nine touchdowns on the season. He had 731 catches for 11,619 yards and scored 84 touchdowns. You combine that with a strong work ethic and a photographic memory? You'll now receive the top Rams Wire stories each day directly in your inbox. Despite Georgia Tech being interested in his playing both football and baseball, Johnson's mother refused to allow Johnson to play both sports after determining that the year-round athletic schedule would be too demanding. [17] In the next week's game against Virginia, he had five receptions for 108 receiving yards in the 3010 loss. [117] [160][161], Overall, he finished the 2013 season with 84 receptions, 1,492 receiving yards, and 12 receiving touchdowns in 14 games. We were a good football team, Ashkouti recalls of that state championship Marist squad. [178], Much like Week 1 in Chicago five years back, in Week 4 at Seattle, Johnson was involved in another controversial play. What the hells wrong with you? Chadwick screamed. [120], In 2011, Johnson had his second best statistical season of his NFL career, reaching a then career-high 1,681 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns. [116] The Bills game was the beginning of a four-game streak for Johnson where he recorded a receiving touchdown. [148][192] His 11,619 receiving yards rank fourth in a player's first nine seasons, trailing only Julio Jones (12,125), Torry Holt (11,864) and Jerry Rice (11,776). [123] He joined Cloyce Box as the only players in franchise history to record at least 200 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in the same game. On the headset, Chadwick was talking over options with his offensive coordinator, Paul Etheridge, who was in the press box high above the field. Calvin Johnson career stats, NFL records. I try to make my words count. [136] In Week 3, against the Tennessee Titans, he had 10 receptions for 164 yards and a touchdown in the 4441 loss. [111] Johnson finished the 2009 season with 67 receptions, 984 yards, and five touchdowns, while missing two games. Please stand, all my teammates and coaches. [125] In a Week 17 game against the Green Bay Packers, Johnson had 11 receptions for a then career-best 244 receiving yards in a 4541 loss. Chadwick believes McVay has the mindset to handle that blast furnace, and he uses another example from the Marist sideline to illustrate his point. The contract was worth up to US$64 million, with $27.2 in guaranteed money, making Johnson the highest-paid player in Lions history (since passed by quarterback Matthew Stafford and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh) and the highest-paid receiver (in guaranteed money) in the NFL. [232], Johnson became engaged to long-time girlfriend Brittney McNorton in March 2015. [68][69], Johnson attended Reebok's NFL Rookie Premiere in Los Angeles. [15] On October 16, against Duke, he had six receptions for 92 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in the 247 victory. And even in those early days, Marists coaches could spot something different about this particular kid. 2 Pick", "Lions Go On Offense With WR Johnson, QB Stanton", "Top 10 Draft Surprises: The Lions don't trade Calvin Johnson", "Lions' draft pick wide receiver Calvin Johnson on team cam", "Calvin Johnson to throw first pitch at Tigers game", "Calvin Johnson Draft and Combine Prospect Profile", "2007 Draft Scout Calvin Johnson, Georgia Tech NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile", "Calvin Johnson, Combine Results, WR - Georgia Tech", "Dungy concerned about rookies missing minicamp", "Lions Move Minicamp So Calvin Johnson Can Participate", "Johnson takes it all in stride in Lions debut", "Lion Calvin Johnson focuses on the game, rookie of the year, not the hype", "Lions check themselves after blowout loss in Philadelphia", "Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions - October 21st, 2007", "Calvin Johnson shows why Lions made him No. I ain't crying. [137] In Week 6, against the Philadelphia Eagles, he had six receptions for 135 yards in the 2623 victory. Website design & development by americaneagle.com copyright 2021 Pro Football hall of fame all rights reserved, Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic. [7][8] Johnson's mother holds a Doctor of Education. He would go on to play for Miami of Ohio, and while he had the potential to be a Julian Edelman-esque fireplug receiver, injuries cut short the last of his football dreams. [165] Johnson suffered an ankle injury that kept him out of action after Week 5. As the running backs hammered into the line, drawing all 11 Shaw defenders their way, McVay paused. [36] In addition, Johnson's 186 receiving yards set a school record for receiving yards in a bowl game. While still regarded as being in his prime, Johnson retired after the 2015 season, citing a loss of passion for the game due to health concerns and the Lions' lack of overall success during his tenure. [85] Johnson finished the 2007 season with 48 receptions for 756 yards and five total touchdowns. [95], On October 14, before the Week 6 trade deadline, Roy Williams was traded to the Dallas Cowboys for a first, a third and a seventh-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, making Johnson the Lions' starting wide receiver and the last big threat on the offense. *****No matter how far we travel in life, were never all that far from our high-school selves, and McVays closest friends dont have to think hard to pick out the similarities between their onetime teammate and the wunderkind NFL head coach. And there came a moment when I know my time in this league, those days were numbered. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Im not sure he heard a word any of us were saying, Ashkouti says. These relationships and friendships will last a lifetime. [16] On November 13, against Connecticut, he had six receptions for 131 receiving yards in the 3010 victory. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? [50], Johnson was SI.com's Midseason 2007 NFL Draft Projection #1 pick,[56] though Johnson had stated that he intended to earn his degree from Georgia Tech. ____ Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. You were the precedent. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Why cant you see whats going on out there? On and on it went, a good 90 seconds. [113] In Week 6, against the New York Giants, he had five receptions for 146 yards and one receiving touchdown in the 2820 loss. Come on, Jim. He was the first player in school history with 1,000 yards rushing and passing in consecutive years, leading Marist to a 14-1 record and a state title in 2003. Some kids have a gift for football, and some dont, Etheridge says. [198], On August 30, 2016, Johnson was announced as one of the celebrities who would compete on season 23 of Dancing with the Stars. He finished his career with 2,600 yards and 40 touchdowns on the ground, and another 2,500 yards and 18 touchdowns through the air. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. [141][142] In the Colts game, Johnson was targeted a career-high 20 times. And everything was buttoned up, everything was running smoothly, everything was anal-retentive. For McVay, who would spend late nights after practice eating game tape on his next opponent with his father, it was a pure distillation of the focus and drive that his coaches had observed in him more than a decade before. [154] In addition to breaking the Lions' franchise record of 302 receiving yards set by Cloyce Box on December 3, 1950, it was the highest receiving yardage ever in a regulation-length game and the second-highest overall single-game yardage in NFL history, behind Flipper Anderson's 336-yard performance in a 1989 overtime win. You know me, I can be a little rough around the edges, but your grace and smooth touch, it keeps us in balance. The legacy I've left behind thus far is a direct reflection of the moments my family and friends have poured into me and by understanding that excellence alone does not come from wishful thinking or Godgiven ability, but one's ability to channel those wishful thoughts into action to achieve a desired outcome. Ronnie Walker, my high school head coach at Sandy Creek High School: You saw things in me that I didn't see in myself. Coaches, too. [234] The couple currently resides in Detroit. Coach thinks Im hard of hearing., He shook it off! 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