Detroit Lions announce plans to honor Calvin Johnson Jr. with Pride of the Lions induction

The Lions announced on Monday that they will honor legendary receiver Calvin Johnson Jr. with an induction into the Pride of the Lions this season. The Pride of the Lions is the team’s honorary group of the team’s best all-time players, which currently has 20 members. Detroit plans to host the induction during halftime of the team’s Sept. 30 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. The Seattle matchup is the “homecoming game,” which makes it the perfect opportunity to recognize one of the greatest players to ever wear a Lions jersey.

“We are thrilled to add Calvin Johnson Jr. to the Pride of the Lions,” Detroit Lions President and CEO, Rod Wood said. “His commitment on the field and to the city of Detroit are legendary and this is a well-deserved honor. We are proud that he will be forever memorialized inside Ford Field and as a Detroit Lion.”

Calvin Johnson, a.k.a. Megatron, became a first-ballot Hall of Fame member in 2021. He joined Randy Moss (Class of 2018), Jerry Rice (2010), Steve Largent (1995), Paul Warfield (1983), Lance Alworth (1978) and Raymond Berry (1973) as the only first-ballot Hall of Fame receivers.

The Lions last inducted players into the Pride of the Lions in 2023 with Lomas Brown and in 2021 with linebacker Chris Spielman. Other members of the Pride of the Lions are DT Roger Brown, DT Alex Karras, WR Herman Moore, CB Lem Barney, S Jack Christiansen, QB Dutch Clark, OL Lou Creekmur, K Jason Hanson, CB Dick “Night Train” Lane, S Yale Lary, QB Bobby Layne, CB Dick LeBeau, RB Barry Sanders, TE Charlie Sanders, LB Joe Schmidt, G Dick Stanfel, RB Doak Walker and OL Alex Wojciechowicz. Johnson will be just the second receiver to join the honorary group.

Johnson, 38, joining Pride of the Lions

The Detroit Lions selected Calvin Johnson Jr. with the second pick in the 2007 NFL Draft out of Georgia Tech where he was a three-time First-Team All-ACC selection and two-time All-American. His collegiate days were just as stellar as his NFL triumphs as he earned the Biletnikoff Trophy, awarded to the NCAA’s top wide receiver annually.

Johnson’s rookie season for the Lions was his least productive, but he went on to have seven 1,000+ yard seasons out of the nine he played in the NFL. He led the league in receiving yards twice, in 2011 and again in 2012. His 2012 total of 1,964 yards remains the league’s record for single-season receiving yards, and he did it in 16 games.

Throughout his career with the Lions, he made six Pro Bowls and earned All-Pro honors in four of nine seasons, including one second-team All-Pro selection.