Calvin Johnson piled up 731 career receptions for 11,619 yards and 83 touchdowns in his NFL career but his greatest accomplishment might be bringing heated rivals Georgia Tech and Georgia together.
The 30-year-old Johnson, a former Jackets standout, retired Tuesday after nine spectacular seasons with the Detroit Lions. The 6-foot-5 receiver was known as Megatron, a sign of respect for his imposing skills and unusual mixture of speed, power and gracefulness.
His quarterback in Detroit was former Bulldogs star Matthew Stafford, who released a statement about Johnson Tuesday night.
“I will always remember when he broke Jerry Rice’s single-season receiving record and all of the big plays he made, thinking, ‘Did he really just come down with that one?’,” Stafford said. “It was such an honor to play the game with one of the best of all time. I will cherish the lessons I’ve learned from him and the friendship we have forged over the past seven years. … Thanks for all the memories, C! Love ya, man.”
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