Calvin Johnson is a former NFL wide receiver and one of the best wideouts in the history of the sport. The Georgia native was one of the top recruits in the nation out of Sandy Creek High School in Tyrone, GA. Calvin committed to Georgia Tech and in each of his three seasons with the Yellow Jackets, from 2004-2006, he was First-team All-ACC. He was ACC Rookie of the Year as a true freshman in 2004, and continued his rise in the next two years, earning First-team All-American recognition in 2005 and 2006, as well as ACC Player of the Year and the Biletnikoff Award (given to the best college receiver in the nation) in 2006.
Calvin was selected 2nd overall by the Detroit Lions in the 2007 NFL Draft. Calvin spent his entire, incredible NFL career (2007-2015) with the Lions. Nicknamed “Megatron” in his rookie season, he became one of the most dominant receivers ever. Calvin went to 6 straight Pro Bowls (2010-2015), and in that stretch he was a First-Team All-Pro for three straight seasons (2011-2013). He led the NFL in receiving yards in 2011 and again in 2012, when he also led the league in receptions.
Calvin set a list of unbelievable records for both Georgia Tech and the Lions. He holds several NFL records as well, including most receiving yards in a single season (1,964 yards in 2012) and a single game in regulation (329 yards in 2013), the most games with at least 100 yards receiving in a season (11, tied with Michael Irvin), and the most games with at least 200 receiving yards (5, tied with Lance Alworth). Calvin has been inducted into both the College and Pro Football Hall of Fames.
Calvin retired in 2015, and in his life after football he has co-founded a cannabis business in Michigan called “Primitiv.” While Calvin did not try marijuana until he got to Georgia Tech, he needed it to deal with pain as a pro. Through Primitiv, Calvin aims to not only sell a high quality product, but also to erase the stigma about marijuana, partner with the NFL and normalize its use in the league, and further research on its effects. To that end, Calvin and his former teammate and now business partner Rob Sims have also partnered with Harvard University to study the potential impact of cannabis on CTE.
