Matt Elam is a rookie. As a rookie, he has a lot to learn about the NFL both on and off the field.
The Baltimore Ravens safety made a mistake Wednesday when asked about Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson.
The description of his Monday night opponent started out well.
"Big, fast, athletic, unstoppable, freak," Elam said of Johnson, per the Detroit Free Press.
Then the 22-year-old had a brain fart.
"He's pretty old, so I don't know how physical he'll be," Elam said. "He's a big guy, but he's older. I guess when they get older they're not going to be as physical, you know what I'm saying? We're going to have to be physical, make him uncomfortable."
Aside from being flat-out wrong -- Johnson is 28; even in the NFL, that isn't old -- Elam made the mistake of poking the Transformer.
Why? Why would any player say anything that could be construed as an insult to one of the NFL's best players?
The last time someone made headlines by talking about Johnson, it was Dez Bryant and his now infamous "I can do whatever (Calvin) can do" comment.
Johnson went off for 329 yards receiving that week.
Elam needs to take some interview lessons from Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs.
"Megatron. Anytime someone has a nickname like that, you know, kid's real," Suggs said. "He's probably, arguably the best receiver in the game, and it's going to take all 11 guys to tend to him."
That is a pro response.
*The latest "Around The League Podcast" recapped all the Week 14 games. *
