Megatron — the most physically dominant wide receiver in NFL history, holder of the single-season receiving record.
Calvin Johnson Jr. was born in Tyrone, Georgia in 1985. Detroit Lions selected him second overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. His nine-season career produced 11,619 receiving yards, 83 touchdowns and six Pro Bowl appearances. He set the NFL single-season receiving yards record with 1,964 yards in 2012 — surpassing Jerry Rice's record of 1,848 set in 1995. At 6ft 5in and 236 pounds running a 4.35-second 40-yard dash, his physical profile was unlike any wide receiver before him — he was nicknamed Megatron after the Transformers villain because of his size and power. He made catches that other receivers simply could not — high-pointing the ball at its apex above defenders, creating separation with pure athleticism where technique was insufficient. He retired in 2015 aged just 30, citing the physical toll of playing on consistently losing teams and a desire to preserve his health. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021, his first year of eligibility. The Calvin Johnson Rule — which requires a receiver to maintain possession through hitting the ground — was named after a controversial incomplete pass ruling in 2010. He averaged 83.9 receiving yards per game — the highest career average in NFL history.
Pro Bowl 6x
Career Honours
- Pro Bowl 6x
- All-Pro 3x
- NFL single-season receiving record (1,964 yards, 2012)
- Hall of Fame (2021)