Which NFL player was nicknamed Megatron?
Calvin Johnson earned the nickname "Megatron", for his seemingly larger-than-life-size and "superhuman" athletic abilities. He was an imposing figure on the football field, similar to the Transformers character, from which his nickname is inspired. The former Detroit Lion and current Hall of Fame selection earned the nickname by playing at a top-level, so much so that he was elected to the Hall of Fame in just his first year on the ballot.
Calvin Johnson wasn't your average NFL wide receiver
Calvin Johnson was never considered the average size of an NFL wide receiver. He was officially listed at 6'5", 239 pounds. At his height, he's about 4 inches taller than the average height for a wide receiver at 6'1". He also held a height advantage over cornerbacks and safeties who were on average approximately the same height as wide receivers (6'0"-6'1"). Since 2006, Johnson is the only player at his height or taller, no matter the player's position, to run a 40-yard dash in under 4.40 seconds.
His strength was also something to admire, as he seemed to get open, grab nearly every pass thrown his way and fight for extra yards after the catch with considerable ease.
"Megatron" posted amazing stats in his NFL career
Calvin Johnson played for nine seasons (2007-2015) in the NFL. He holds the record for most yards by an NFL player over a three-year period with 5,137 yards gained from 2011 to 2013. And during his nine total seasons, there are no other wide receivers who have more total touchdowns (83), 100-yard games (47), or yards (11,619).
In just his second year in the league, he was tied with Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald for the most receiving touchdowns that season with 12. His 1,964 receiving yards in 2012 are still the most ever by a receiver in a single NFL regular season. He also led the league that year in total receptions with 122. In 2013, he set the NFL record for most receiving yards in a single game, gaining 329 total yards against the Cowboys in Week 8.
Calvin Johnson retired from the NFL after the end of the 2015 season. Just recently this month, he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.