Calvin Johnson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Calvin Johnson

Johnson in 2024
No. 81
Position:	Wide receiver
Personal information
Born:	(1985-09-29) September 29, 1985 (age 39) Tyrone, Georgia, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Weight:	237 lb (108 kg)
Career information
High school:	Sandy Creek (Tyrone, Georgia)
College:	Georgia Tech (2004–2006)
NFL Draft:	2007 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2
Career history
Detroit Lions (2007)
Career highlights and awards
3× First-team All-Pro (2011–2013) Second-team All-Pro (2010) 6× Pro Bowl (2010–2015) 2× NFL receiving yards leader (2011, 2012) NFL receptions leader (2012) NFL receiving touchdowns co-leader (2008) NFL 2010s All-Decade Team PFWA All-Rookie Team (2007) Detroit Lions All-Time Team Pride of the Lions Fred Biletnikoff Award (2006) Paul Warfield Trophy (2006) Unanimous All-American (2006) First-team All-American (2005) ACC Player of the Year (2006) ACC Rookie of the Year (2004) 3× First-team All-ACC (2004–2006) NFL records Most receiving yards in a season: 1,964 Most consecutive 100-yard receiving games: 8
Career NFL statistics
Receptions: 731 Receiving yards: 11,619 Receiving touchdowns: 83
Player stats at PFR
Pro Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame

Calvin Johnson Jr. (born September 29, 1985) is a former professional football player. He was a wide receiver for nine seasons with the Detroit Lions in the National Football League (NFL). Fans nicknamed him "Megatron" after a character from Transformers. Many people consider him one of the best wide receivers ever.

Johnson played college football for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. In his junior year, he won the Fred Biletnikoff Award. The Lions chose him as the second overall pick in the 2007 NFL draft.

Calvin Johnson was known for his amazing combination of size (6 feet 5 inches tall and 239 pounds), speed (he could run 40 yards in 4.35 seconds), strength, and ability to catch the ball. In 2012, he set an NFL record for the most receiving yards in a single season. He also holds records for consecutive games with many receptions. Johnson was chosen for the Pro Bowl six times in a row, from 2010 to 2015. He was also named a first-team All-Pro three times.

Even though he was still playing at a high level, Johnson retired after the 2015 season. He said he had lost his passion for the game due to health concerns and the Lions' struggles. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2018. In 2021, he joined the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Early Life and High School Football

Calvin Johnson Jr. was born on September 29, 1985, in Tyrone, Georgia. His parents, Calvin Johnson Sr. and Arica Johnson, always emphasized education. His mother even has a special degree called a Doctor of Education. They made sure he focused on school, only allowing him to play sports if he earned good grades.

Johnson was already 6 feet tall in middle school. By his sophomore year of high school, he was 6 feet 4 inches. He went to Sandy Creek High School in Tyrone, Georgia. There, he was a star in both football and baseball. In football, he was a starting wide receiver for three years. His high school retired his jersey number, 81, in 2010.

College Football Career

Calvin Johnson catching a pass for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Johnson attended the Georgia Institute of Technology. He played for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team from 2004 to 2006. Even though Georgia Tech wanted him to play both football and baseball, his mother decided he should only play football. She felt that playing both sports all year would be too much.

As a freshman in 2004, Johnson quickly became an important player. He led the Yellow Jackets with 48 catches for 837 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. These were new records for a Georgia Tech freshman. He was named the ACC Rookie of the Year.

In 2005, Johnson continued to excel. He earned first-team All-American honors and was again named All-ACC. He led his team with 54 catches for 888 receiving yards and six touchdowns.

Johnson was named a team captain for his junior season in 2006. He won the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the best college football receiver that year. In a game against the West Virginia Mountaineers, he set a school record with 186 receiving yards in a bowl game. He also became Georgia Tech's all-time leader in career receiving yards. Johnson was named ACC Player of the Year and was recognized as a unanimous All-American. He finished the 2006 season with 1,202 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns, which was another school record.

By the end of his college career, Johnson had 178 receptions for 2,927 yards and 28 touchdowns. He holds many school records, including most career receiving yards and most career touchdown receptions.

College Statistics

College Awards and Honors

Calvin Johnson's Fred Biletnikoff Award

• First-team Freshman All-American (2004)
• All-American (2005 and 2006)
• First-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference (2004, 2005, and 2006)
• ACC Rookie of the Year (2004)
• ACC Player of the Year (2006)
• Biletnikoff Award (2006)
• Paul Warfield Trophy (2006)
• Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame (2018)

Professional Football Career

Calvin Johnson in his Detroit Lions training uniform

After his junior year, Calvin Johnson decided to enter the NFL Draft. Many experts believed he was the top player available. At the NFL Combine, he showed off his incredible athletic skills. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.35 seconds and had an amazing 11-foot, 7-inch broad jump.

The Detroit Lions selected Johnson as the second overall pick in the 2007 NFL draft. This was the highest a Georgia Tech player had ever been drafted.

Detroit Lions Highlights

Johnson signed a six-year contract with the Lions in August 2007. It was a big deal, making him one of the highest-paid receivers in the NFL at the time.

2007 Season

Johnson had a great NFL debut, catching four passes for 70 yards and his first touchdown. His teammate, Roy Williams, gave him the nickname "Megatron" because of his large hands, like the Transformers character. Johnson finished his rookie season with 48 catches for 756 yards and five touchdowns. He was named to the NFL All-Rookie Team.

2008 Season

In 2008, Johnson became the Lions' main wide receiver after Roy Williams was traded. Despite the team having a tough 0–16 season, Johnson had an outstanding year. He finished fifth in receiving yards (1,331) and led the entire league with 12 receiving touchdowns. He was the first Lions player to lead the NFL in receiving touchdowns since 1963.

2010 Season

Johnson continued to be a top player. He caught 77 passes for 1,120 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2010. He was selected for his first Pro Bowl.

2011 Season: A Record-Breaking Year

Calvin Johnson playing against the Green Bay Packers in 2012

The 2011 season was one of Johnson's best. He set a career-high with 1,681 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns. In one game, he helped the Lions come back from a 24-point deficit to win. He also had a game with 214 receiving yards and two touchdowns. The Lions made the playoffs for the first time since 1999, and Johnson set a team playoff record with 211 receiving yards in their game against the New Orleans Saints.

2012 Season: NFL Receiving Yards Record

Johnson at training camp in 2012

In March 2012, Johnson signed a huge eight-year contract extension with the Lions. He also won a fan vote to be on the cover of the Madden NFL 13 video game.

In December 2012, Johnson broke Jerry Rice's single-season receiving yards record. He finished the season with an incredible 1,964 receiving yards, which is still an NFL record for a 16-game season. He also led the league with 122 receptions. Johnson was named a starter for the Pro Bowl.

2013 Season

Johnson continued his amazing play in 2013. In a game against the Dallas Cowboys, he caught 14 passes for a career-high 329 receiving yards. This was the second-highest single-game yardage in NFL history and the most ever in a regular-length game. He also broke the Lions' all-time record for touchdown catches. He finished the season with 1,492 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns.

2014 Season

In 2014, Johnson became the fastest player in NFL history to reach 10,000 receiving yards, doing so in his 115th game. He finished the season with 1,044 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. He was named to his fifth straight Pro Bowl.

2015 Season and Retirement

Johnson had another strong season in 2015, reaching 1,000 receiving yards for the sixth year in a row. He became the fastest player to reach 11,000 receiving yards. He was named to his sixth consecutive Pro Bowl.

On March 8, 2016, Calvin Johnson announced his retirement from the NFL after nine seasons. He retired with 11,619 receiving yards, which was the fourth-most by any player in their first nine seasons. He also had more receiving yards, touchdowns, and 100-yard games than any other player from his draft class through 2015.

In February 2021, Johnson was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his very first year of eligibility.

NFL Career Statistics

Regular Season

Postseason

NFL Honors and Records

• 3x First-team All-Pro (2011–2013)
• 6× Pro Bowl (2010–2015)
• 2× NFL receiving yards leader (2011, 2012)
• NFL receptions leader (2012)
• NFL receiving touchdowns leader (2008)
• NFL 2010s All-Decade Team
• PFWA All-Rookie Team (2007)
• Detroit Lions All-Time Team
• Pride of the Lions
• Most receiving yards in a single season (16 games): 1,964 yards (2012)
• Most consecutive games with at least 100 receiving yards: 8 (tied record)
• Most receiving yards in a single game in regulation: 329 (October 27, 2013)
• Most games with at least 200 receiving yards: 5 (tied record)

Dancing with the Stars

In 2016, Calvin Johnson joined season 23 of Dancing with the Stars. He danced with professional partner Lindsay Arnold. They finished in third place in the competition.

Personal Life

Calvin Johnson started The Calvin Johnson Jr. Foundation, Inc. in 2008. This foundation helps young people by focusing on education, training, and social development. It also provides money to different community groups. The foundation hosts an annual camp called Catching Dreams for high school wide receivers.

Johnson married Brittney McNorton in June 2016. They live in Detroit. He is a Christian and has religious tattoos on his arms. He used to be part of a weekly Bible study group with other Lions players.

See also

In Spanish: Calvin Johnson para niños