Calvin Johnson
Legendary Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson invites Graham Bensinger to Canton, Ohio, for his 2021 Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement. While alongside Johnson – aka Megatron – for the celebration, we catch up with fellow Hall of Famer Michael Irvin, QB Matthew Stafford and Johnson’s immediate family. Later, we rejoin the first-ballot Hall of Famer at his home in Detroit, where he and his wife Brittney discuss their rift with the Lions’ ownership, a budding cannabis business and family life raising three boys.
CALVIN JOHNSON
CLIPS
Calvin Johnson: Highlighting the healing powers of cannabis
Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson explains why he strategically incorporated cannabis into his Hall of Fame induction speech, and why he entered the cannabis industry in the first place. Johnson – aka Megatron – discusses educating the public on the healing benefits of the plant and leveraging those benefits to eradicate a stigma.
Calvin Johnson: I smoked weed every week in the NFL
Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson discusses the NFL’s evolving relationships with both cannabis and opioids. Johnson – aka Megatron – says that he used cannabis every week while playing in the NFL to help alleviate pain and to improve his sleep.
Calvin Johnson: How a fall in Philly saved my mom’s life
Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson on his mom’s battle with pancreatic cancer and his emphasis on enjoying every bit of time he has left with his parents. Later, Calvin’s mom, dad and brother chime in from his Hall of Fame induction afterparty about the focus on education and discipline throughout his childhood. Plus, former Georgia Tech coach Buddy Geis pops in to joke about his fear of Calvin’s mother during their time together.
Calvin Johnson: Rejecting Dodgers’ $1M offer in high school
Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson explains the two main reasons he rejected a lucrative offer to pursue pro baseball and why he both earned and overcame the nickname of “Butterfingers” in high school. Plus, Johnson – aka Megatron – discusses the work ethic that eventually paid dividends and the sacrifices required when committing yourself to playing a sport at an elite level.
Calvin Johnson on Matthew Stafford’s fastball: You’re f***ing up my fingers!
Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson on syncing up with long-time Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford, including learning to handle Stafford’s fast throws and his appreciation for the now L.A. Rams QB making it to his Hall of Fame induction. Plus, we catch up with Stafford at Johnson’s Hall of Fame induction afterparty and he shares some of his personal highlights from their years playing together.
Calvin Johnson: Went for my gun during Hall of Fame door knock
Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson and his wife Brittney recount the moment Calvin first learned he would be inducted into the Hall. Brittney says Calvin believed he deserved the honor, but wasn’t sure he would ever receive it. Calvin describes holding back tears when talking about his mom and wife during his induction speech. Plus, we catch up with many of Calvin’s inner circle during his induction afterparty, including Matthew Stafford, former Lions coach Jim Schwartz, Calvin’s mom Arica and brother Wali.
Michael Irvin: Calvin Johnson lost the will, not the skill
Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson looks back on his decision to retire from the NFL and says a couple factors were at play: his body was hurting and the Lions went into “rebuild” mode instead of acquiring a few pieces to make a run. Plus, legends and influencers chime in from Hall of Fame induction festivities in Canton, including QB Matthew Stafford, fellow Hall of Famer Michael Irvin and Calvin’s father, Calvin Johnson Sr.
Calvin Johnson on injuries and awful Eagles fans
Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson recounts the many injuries endured during his NFL career. His wife Brittney joins the conversation to provide her perspective, including Calvin’s temperament while hurting and why she gave him the temporary nickname “Scooter.” Plus, Calvin looks back on a scary injury in Philadelphia during his rookie season and offers his perspective on the long-term effects of numerous concussions.
Calvin Johnson: No effort from Lions to resolve rift
Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson openly addresses his rift with the Detroit Lions. Johnson – aka Megatron – says that Lions ownership treated its players like pawns and numbers rather than people, and the organization has yet to show any real effort to repair the relationship.
Calvin Johnson: $100 bet led to love with Lions intern
Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson and his wife Brittney look back on their first meeting while at Lions training camp. Plus, they offer up stories of reconnecting roughly five years later at a club in Miami and how Calvin eventually popped the question. Later, Brittney and Calvin talk family life and parenting styles for their three boys.
Beat the Packers or Bears: Rapid Fire with Calvin Johnson
Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson offers quick takes when forced to choose between various options, including whether he’d rather beat the Packers or the Bears and whether he prefers the label of “businessman” or “football player.”
Calvin Johnson: Snagged record-setting pants so Hall of Fame couldn’t
Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson walks us through memorabilia donned in his home office, including his favorite cleats, an NFL Honors award, doodles in his playbook and the pants he wore while breaking the single season record for receiving yards (1,946).
Calvin Johnson at Georgia Tech: Mashed potatoes and paintball guns
While he wasn’t busy breaking Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets receiving records, Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson enjoyed powdered mashed potatoes and shooting his friends with paintballs. Johnson jokes of his potato-heavy diet in high school and college and lighting up a Georgia Tech lineman’s car… until a nearby police officer got involved.
Calvin Johnson: Still coaching up NFL receivers
Calvin Johnson on why he loves consulting for a small number of young NFL wide receivers – including Super Bowl champ Chris Godwin – plus other business ventures. Johnson – aka Megatron – discusses why his Auntie Anne’s franchise failed from afar and details his business, Locker Room Consulting.
Behind the scenes with Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson
Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at our episode taping featuring first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson, aka Megatron. We start things off at Megatron’s Hall of Fame enshrinement and afterparty in Canton, Ohio, then head to his home in Detroit for the long-form interview and additional perspective from Calvin’s wife, Brittney. The crew chimes in to discuss long hours on the road and borrowing shirts from girlfriends.
