How Long Did Calvin Johnson Play In The NFL?
Legendary Wide Receiver Calvin Johnson was just elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame for its 2021 induction after being on the ballot in just his first year. He received word of honor this past Saturday at his home during the NFL Honors ceremony broadcast.
Calvin Johnson played his entire career for the Detroit Lions from 2007 to 2015. He quickly earned the nickname "Megatron", due to his larger-than-life-size for his position (listed at 6'5", 237 lbs), but mainly from his superhuman athletic ability on the field.
After playing for a total of 9 seasons, he stepped away from the game perfoming at a level where everyone believed he was still well in his prime. The exact reason(s) leading to Johnson's departure from the league is often debated. Some chalk it up to a few nagging injuries taking their eventual toll. Or perhaps it was from a lack of overall success for his team, only appearing in two playoff games, with both of them being losses.
"Megatron" Put Up Numbers Worthy of the Hall Of Fame
In just 9 seasons of NFL play, he finished his career with totals that other players at his position would need at least a few more years to accomplish. He retired with 11,619 career yards and was on pace to quickly pass current Hall of Famers Michael Irvin, Art Monk and Andre Reed. In his final season, Johnson totaled 1,214 yards, most by a player playing in their final NFL season, all-time.
During the span of his career, no other receiver gained more total touchdowns (83), yards (11,619), or 100-yard games (47). He was voted to 6 Pro Bowls, and still holds the record for most yards by an NFL player over a three-year period with 5,137 yards gained from 2011 to 2013.