Detroit Lions: Two “Terrell” argument for Calvin Johnson in Canton

Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson is a sure-fire Canton inductee. The reason for this is the two “Terrells” that have been put in ahead of him.

This past weekend, the Pro Football Hall of Fame inducted eight new members in Canton, Ohio. None of the inductees had ties to the Detroit Lions, but the ceremony made me think a lot about Detroit’s next most likely candidate: Calvin Johnson.

With a nickname like Megatron, which referred to the giant robot from the “Transformers” movies, Johnson was an especially big presence in the NFL.

Johnson is eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2021, and he has amassed impressive numbers in just nine seasons:

• 731 receptions
• 11,619 yards
• 15.9 yards per reception
• 83 touchdowns

The statistics are solid. But there are two “Terrell” reasons why Calvin should be honored as a Hall of Fame inductee.

TERRELL ONE

Terrell Owens was one of the inductees this year, and he is more than deserving of that honor for his tremendous statistics. But, Owens was not inducted on the first ballot (it was actually his third try) because of off-the-field questions about character and some on-the-field issues of being a disruptive force.

Because of Owens’ perceived slight of having to wait for induction, he decided not to attend the ceremony this past Saturday. Thus proving that when it comes to Terrell Owens, it is all about his inflated ego. Not the best way for Owens to prove his point about being worthy of the first ballot.

On the other hand, there is Calvin Johnson, who has always been a good teammate on the field. No trouble or big demonstrations of ego outside the field of play. Megatron always was the consummate professional.

Yes, in the past few years, Calvin has made overtures that he is angry with the Detroit Lions over signing bonus money. And, yes, it was hard to swallow all of those years of losing. But, as a player,  Calvin always represented himself and the city of Detroit in the best light possible, which made both the fans and the franchise proud.

The point is that Megatron’s professional attitude coupled with his strong statistics should easily gain him access to the halls of Canton. If Owens gets in with all of his antics over the years, then Calvin should get in for being the polar opposite.

But did Megatron play long enough? That brings us to another Terrell.