Countdown to Kickoff: No. 21

Calvin Johnson

The countdown to kickoff is officially on as Georgia Tech‘s season-opening matchup at Colorado on Aug. 29 is less than 100 days away.

Until then JOL will be counting it down with one Jackets’ player daily that wore the corresponding number of days remaining until toe meets leather in Boulder.

With it now 21 days until kickoff in Boulder, today’s focus is on No. 21 Calvin Johnson, a legendary receiver on The Flats that was not only one of the greatest players in Georgia Tech program history but went on to become one of the best pass-catchers in NFL history and a Pro Football Hall-of-Famer.

Johnson’s football journey began in Tyrone, Georgia where he starred for Sandy Creek High as a three-year starter and all-time great for the Patriots’ football team while also being a stellar baseball player on the high school level. In the 2004 recruiting class he was ranked as a top 100 recruit by every recruiting service and one of the top three or four players at his position before deciding to sign with Georgia Tech over offers from several college programs from all over the country.

Johnson, who later came to be known as “Megatron” based on his size, speed and skills, immediately made an impact for the Jackets once he arrived on The Flats, as he played in 12 games as a freshman in 2004 and hauled in 48 catches for 837 yards and seven touchdowns as well as a rushing touchdown on his way to being named the ACC Rookie of the Year, a First-Team All-ACC selection, a First-Team Freshman All-American and a four-time ACC Rookie of the Week.

Despite now being clearly on the radar and a priority of every defense he faced in 2005, his production took another step forward as a sophomore with Johnson increasing his number of receptions to 54 over 12 games and his receiving yards to 888. He had another six touchdown catches that season as he was once again a First-Team All-ACC pick and a First-Team All-American.

Johnson’s best year was yet to come, however, in 2006 as a junior, which proved to be his final at Georgia Tech before going on to the NFL. That season Johnson had an incredible 76 catches for 1,202 yards and 15 touchdowns as he set the Jackets’ all-time record for both the single-season yardage and receiving touchdown marks. His awards list was deservedly long that season as he won the Biletnikoff Award and Paul Warfield Trophy, both of which honor the nation’s best wide receiver, and was named the ACC Player of the Year, a First-Team All-American and a First-Team All-ACC pick.

Despite only playing three seasons at Tech, he is the program’s all-time leader in career receiving yards (2,927), receiving touchdowns (28), single-season receiving yards (1,202 in 2006), single-season receiving touchdowns (15 in 2006), second in career receptions (178) and second in single-season receptions (76 in 2006).

After forgoing his senior season at Tech and entering the 2007 NFL Draft, Johnson was selected second overall by the Detroit Lions. He went on to play nine seasons in The League, all in Detroit and racked up 731 career receptions for 11,619 yards and 83 touchdowns.

During his NFL career, Johnson was a three-time First-Team All-Pro, a six-time Pro Bowl selection, a one-time Second-Team All-Pro, the league leader in receiving yards twice (2011, 2012), the league leader in receptions (2012) and the league co-leader in touchdown receptions (2008). He owns NFL records for most receiving yards in a season with 1,964 in 2012, most consecutive 100-yard receiving games with eight and fastest player to reach 11,000 receiving yards (127 games). He was named to the Pro Football Writers Association’s All-Rookie Team in 2007 and the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team.

Johnson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021 which was his first year eligible. He is also a member of the College Football Hall of Fame (2018 class), the Georgia Tech Sports Hall of Fame (2016 class) and the Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame (Inaugural 2021 class). His high school number 81 was also retired by Sandy Creek in 2010.

Honorable Mention

–Jonathan Dwyer (Running back from 2007-2009; ACC Player of the Year, First-Team All-American and First-Team All-ACC in 2008; Second-Team All-ACC in 2009; ACC All-Freshman Team in 2007; Sixth all-time at GT in career rushing yards with 3,226, tied for third in career rushing TDs with 35; Selected in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers and played five NFL seasons for the Steelers and Arizona Cardinals)

***Link to recent JOL Q and A with Dwyer