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Lions Update: Calvin Johnson Reveals Thoughts of Detroit’s Progress

Originally posted on Gridiron Heroics
By Christian Alamodin | Last updated 1/29/24

Lions fans who witnessed Calvin Johnson tear up the NFC North during the mid-2000s know how their team fumbled the bag on him. Fortunately for them, Megatron never veered far from the game.

When he’s not assessing the potential of basketball players on the gridiron, he keeps himself updated on how his old team is doing in the NFL. Despite his horrible departure from the team, Detroit was the only city he ever suited up for.

Lions fans will be happy to know that the Lions are doing a great job in Megatron’s eyes.

Megatron: Lions are playing phenomenal football

Johnson appeared on Wednesday on Amon-Ra St. Brown’s podcast, which saw two of the franchise’s most exhilarating wideouts talk about their team in detail.

As reported by Detroit Free Press’ Austin Cutright, he’s happy with how the Lions are performing this season. His choice of words reveal just how happy he is with the team’s growth over the years.

“You guys have guys on your team that are starting to emerge into their own stardom, which is very cool to watch and see happen here right in front of our eyes,” Johnson said on the “St. Brown Bros” podcast, which Amon-Ra hosts alongside his brother, Chicago Bears receiver Equanimeous St. Brown. “It’s pretty cool to see. You guys just boomed over the last couple (years).

“We’re f— proud, dog. We proud as hell of y’all.”

He also bared his thoughts on how former teammate and current head coach Dan Campbell’s journey to where he is today:

“The dude was a solid example,” Johnson said of Campbell. “I think he had like one shoulder (when we were playing). He was like RoboCop, and he was still starting and we had other tight ends, but he was going out there and manhandling dudes. Dude had country strength. He was country strong.

“Just being able to be productive and obviously be a limb down, I think that’s what garnered a lot of respect from the team at the time, seeing someone go out there and do that. … Obviously, it’s been fun watching the growth of Dan, from when we played to where he is now.”

Detroit’s WR legacy stands strong

Johnson is an unforgettable talent at wide receiver as his 6’5″, 234-lb frame proved too much for opposing secondaries. He still holds the NFL record for more receiving yards in a single season (1964), a record that won’t be broken any time soon.

However, it won’t be hard to imagine him being happy if St. Brown was the one who overtakes this record from him. The third-year receiver is still far from Megatron’s record, but his 1515 tally this past season shows that he’s well on his way to approaching his record.

As long as St. Brown and the Lions continue their progress, it’s not impossible to imagine them lifting their first Super Bowl soon.

This article first appeared on Gridiron Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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