Calvin Johnson Refutes Lions' Claim of Recent Attempt Made to Reach Out
The strained relationship between former Detroit Lions wideout Calvin Johnson and the organization has been well-documented.
When Johnson retired in 2015, the team asked him to return a portion of his signing bonus, a decision that has been viewed as highly disrespectful for a player that sacrificed his body to play for Detroit.
On Tuesday, Lions team president Rod Wood was asked about the status of the team's relationship with Johnson, who is up for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year.
“I would say nothing (has) really changed. We’re supportive of Calvin’s candidacy for the Hall of Fame, continue to try to reach out to him. But, it’s going to require both of us to get together on that. It’s not just us," Wood explained during his Tuesday media session. "I won’t really comment on where we stand on that. But, certainly as I’ve said at the very beginning, that’s my goal.”
Johnson, who played his entire career with Detroit, denied that Wood has attempted to reach him.
“Not that I’m looking for him to, but that’d be totally false if he asserted he reached out to me recently," Johnson said via the Detroit Free Press.
In a recent appearance on former teammate Glover Quin's "The DB Room" YouTube show, Johnson shared that he did not want to be drafted by Detroit, leading up to the 2007 NFL Draft.
"Sitting there leading up to the draft, I am like shoot -- boy, I hope I go to Atlanta," Johnson said. "Played my high school ball, played my college ball right here and then, playing in the NFL right here. That would be the best little thing ever. Atlanta got No. 7 -- I might not be there. I hope they trade up to get me."
Johnson added, "I didn't honestly want to go to Oakland. Didn't want to go across the country. Didn't want to go to Detroit. So far north. That's the thing about the NFL. Nobody has control over really where you're going, unless you're Eli Manning."
Over the course of his nine seasons with the Lions, Johnson recorded 731 receptions for 11,619 yards and 83 touchdowns.
His 5,137 receiving yards from 2011 to 2013 are the most over a three-year stretch in NFL history.
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