Add another hall of fame to the resume of Sandy Creek High alumnus Calvin Johnson. On Feb. 6, 2021, Johnson was officially announced to the world as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2021.
Though Calvin did not start playing football until the 7th grade, he quickly caught on and surpassed the competition. He was a three-year starter at Sandy Creek, culminating in a senior campaign where he narrowly missed out on State Player of the Year for the 2003 season. His number 81 jersey was later retired by Sandy Creek in 2010.
Ranked among the top high school recruits in the nation, Johnson spurned bigger programs to commit to Georgia Tech, where he became one of the best players in Yellow Jacket history. In just three seasons of work, he finished second in catches, first in yards, and first in touchdowns all-time in school history respectively. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2018.
Next came the NFL, where he was picked 2nd overall in the 2007 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions, where he spent his whole career. From 2010 through 2015 he was selected to six-straight Pro Bowls with three-straight First-Team All-Pro honors in the middle. In 2012, he etched his name in the history books with a NFL single-season record for receiving yards at 1,964 yards.
Johnson did his damage for Detroit in just 9 seasons, retiring at 30 years old and becoming just the third player in NFL history to be selected for the Hall of Fame at 35 years old or younger.
Johnson will officially be inducted during Hall of Fame weekend August 5-9, 2021 in Canton, Ohio, where he will receive the customary ring and gold jacket, and his bronze bust will be unveiled. — Provided by the Fayette County School System.
