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Calvin Johnson’s relationship with the Detroit Lions – the only NFL team to ever employ him – has been almost entirely non-existent since his sudden retirement after the 2015 season. A financial dispute over his signing bonus has sparked a fracture with the franchise that has not yet been repaired.
Fans were stuck in the middle of it all, torn between their love for the team they believed to act only with the best intentions of the franchise and admiration for one of the best players to ever put on the Honolulu Blue. They could only watch in horror as Johnson went to other teams’ training camp to use his incredible experience to help train. their players.
But it looks like Johnson has taken the first step towards resolving that relationship. Approached by Lions receivers coach Robert Prince – the only coach left from his time in Detroit, and with whom he still has a relationship – Johnson agreed to meet with the Lions receivers body this summer via a Zoom call.
“It was good talking to these guys, because I used to play, I know what it takes to play in the NFL,” Johnson told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press on a recent podcast. “I admire these guys for what they do.”
Johnson has spent much of his retirement giving back to football. He frequently hosts youth football camps in Michigan and has visited off-season practice for the Dolphins and Raiders in the past.
Now that he’s helping the Lions, he’s in awe of the set of receivers they have right now.
“I love watching Kenny Golladay,” Johnson said. “Glad Danny (Amendola) is coming.” And, Marvin (Jones Jr.), love to see these guys over there, man. My heart goes out to Marvin, (for) the loss they suffered, and it’s terrible. But they’re great guys, and I love to see good guys succeed. I have love for these players, for sure.
So what was his message to the Lions receiving corps, which has the promise of being one of the best sets in the league in 2020?
“I continue like this: daily training and whatever you do – right now times are different with the pandemic – but whether you’re with the team or at home things can get mundane. But if you’re trying to take something for good or for bad in your game, your strengths and weaknesses, you know what they are, and work on those things – good and bad – you don’t just want to work on the bad things and forget about the good things you are doing and literally only take one thing at a time. Work on everything daily and stack the good days on top of each other.
“Break it down a bit more by working on these things on a daily basis. Like, ‘Hey, today I’m going to work to see the tip of the ball in my hands. Tomorrow I will be working at the top of my roads. The next day I’ll be working on adjusting my hands and blocking.
“Just taking these things, and not just doing them, is putting the perfect effort into them. Realize that you are not going to be perfect, but that you are really trying to hone these skills. Like I said, “It’s a good day. I put it here. Okay, it’s another good day. I stack it on top of that. Basically when you stack those good days of practice it just translates into the field. ”
Sadly, Johnson’s relationship with the organization as a whole remains, in his words, “nil.” With Johnson’s potential Hall of Fame induction in early 2021, many are hoping the two will fix the fences by then, but the two sides don’t even seem interested in talking just yet, according to Johnson.
“There’s no going back and forth there, and that’s fine with me,” Johnson said. “I run my business, I’m sure they are looking after theirs.”
If you have a Detroit Free Press subscription, you can listen to the full 38-minute interview with Johnson here. Other topics include what the Hall of Fame means to him, his health in the NFL and today, and how the pandemic has affected his life.
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