Long before Calvin Johnson earned the nickname, “Megatron” in the NFL, Taylor Bennett knew that the 6-foot-5, 235-pound wide receiver was a species unto himself and should be near the top of any conversation on selecting the best player in Georgia Tech history. Bennett, a former Tech quarterback who entered school with Johnson in 2004, saw greatness.
We knew Calvin Johnson was talented, and in summer workouts as a freshman he showed it. On the first day, he broke the vertical jump record with a spring of 45 inches. You could see all the skills in practice, but you didn’t really see the true talent until the Clemson game the second week when he had eight catches for 127 yards, three touchdowns, including that 11-yard game-winner with 11 seconds left.
You get guys out on the field who can run and are athletic, but there, playing against the No. 18 team, you saw it.
At N.C. State his sophomore year, he caught one behind him like he was Spider-Man. He uses his athleticism and (4.4 40 speed). I think that what sets him apart and makes him look like an acrobat. He’s running a 15-yard in-pattern, and he jumps parallel to the ground.
One of the best qualities are that his eyeballs are able to remain so focused when he’s running. One of the eye doctors at Georgia Tech had this theory that some of the best athletes, when they run, their eyeballs don’t move. Calvin was able to stay completely focused on the ball all the time. He’s able to pick it up from the throw to the catch, which enables him to focus completely on the ball.
He can pick up the ball immediately, and even if it’s behind him, his reaction time is so fast. At Miami, he ran a 10-yard hitch route and (former quarterback) Reggie (Ball) thew it really quick, and you’ve never seen someone turn so fast. At the (2007 NFL Scouting) combine, he had the fastest reaction time with hand-eye coordination ever.
And you saw it in that Lions-Dallas game two Sundays ago. Even when there were two (defenders) there, he’s going to make the catch. Even as NFL guys get bigger and stronger, he’s still able to put up the numbers while coverages are catering too him and surrounding him.
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