Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson has been at odds with the Detroit Lions ever since he retired but that does not mean he won’t be paying attention to his former team during the 2022 season.
On Tuesday, Johnson was in town at the Detroit Golf Club for the Area 313 Celebrity Scramble and to assist with the Youth Golf Clinic put on by the The Children’s Foundation and he was asked about whether or not he will be paying attention to the Lions in 2022.
“I’ll definitely keep an eye on it,” Johnson said. “I’ve always been good with Coach Dan (Campbell), (I) played with him, so I always look to see. I hope that he does great things here.”
Calvin Johnson weighs in on Dan Cambell and Jameson Williams
Johnson and Campbell both played for the Lions in 2007-2008 after Johnson was selected by the Lions with the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft. Campbell, at the time, was at the other end of his career and was playing with a torn triceps.
“He was a starter with basically one arm,” Johnson said. “A lot of guys probably don’t know that, but I mean, the guys that do, you can respect that. And if you really understood his history, the guys that are in that locker room, they’ll respect him that much more. So just being a player, but being a passionate player that he is, I know he’s carrying that passion over into his coaching, so I’m happy for him.”
When asked about the Detroit Lions selecting WR Jameson Williams with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, he said he was happy about the move and he looks forward to meeting him.
“I was happy with the move, just because I saw the kid play when he was in college.” Johnson said. “He had an injury, but we’ve seen plenty of guys bounce back from that. So, I look forward to seeing him out there playing. I actually look forward to actually meeting the kid and spending some time with him, just (learning) about him, just learning more about his mindset, because he has high expectations, and he just needs to be ready for it.”
