Gardner-Johnson: 'You Can Change a City by Just Winning'
Defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson, a free-agent acquisition of Detroit general manager Brad Holmes earlier this offseason, has made one thing clear since joining the Lions: He’s “all about winning.”
The fifth-year pro did a lot of winning a season ago with the Philadelphia Eagles, too. The Eagles won 14 games and the NFC East division crown, en route to becoming NFC champions.
Meanwhile, the Lions won nine games, but had to win eight of their last 10 contests in order to do so. They also failed to make the playoffs, and haven’t made a trip to the postseason since the 2016 season.
Detroit also hasn’t won a single playoff game since the 1991 campaign, which is the longest active drought in the NFL.
Gardner-Johnson, for one, is committed to bringing a winning edge to the Lions.
“You guys play good ball here. I’m not trying to take that away from you. But, I don’t think guys have the fire that I have, anybody around the league,” Gardner-Johnson told reporters Thursday, on Day 3 of mandatory minicamp. “In the Super Bowl, you’ve seen it. Last year, you ‘seen’ it. The year before last year, you ‘seen’ it. The year I got in Tom Brady’s face, you ‘seen’ it. So, I think the passion that you guys see and the energy, I’m just ready to win. And, I’m not trying to take no steps off. Losing the Super Bowl doesn't mean take a step back.”
He certainly contributed to Philadelphia’s winning ways last season, too. The Florida native amassed a career-best six interceptions in just 12 games, to go along with a career-high 67 total tackles.
Going into his first season in Detroit, he’s hoping that his play on the field rubs off on his new teammates.
"I think, me just being me and just letting it feed off, and just hoping that everybody can just feed off what I do by (me) leading by example. I’ve played a lot of ball, you know, these past four years, so I think a lot of guys get behind me for the example I set in games and stuff,” the versatile defensive back said.
Gardner-Johnson, who’s suited up for six postseason games in his career (he played in three during his three seasons with the Saints), will instantly become one of the Lions' more experienced players. He believes his leadership and NFL savvy will prove to be beneficial to Detroit's young roster.
“This year, I think the leadership I bring, as I said, leading by example and going to the playoffs and playing in division games that mean something (in the past), I think that right there is going to rub off and just let them guys take it to another level,” he expressed.
If the Lions do truly take the next step in 2023, it likely will mean that Dan Campbell's squad not only reaches the playoffs but also wins the NFC North.
As the offseason has progressed, Detroit has increasingly become the favorite to come out on top in the aforementioned division this upcoming season. If it does, it would be a big step for the franchise in its efforts to become a winning organization.
And, as Gardner-Johnson put it, on the final day of minicamp, "You can change a city by just winning.”
