Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson Jr. is headed into Detroit's Pride of the Lions during the 2024 season.
The club announced on Monday that it would induct Johnson during halftime of its Monday night homecoming game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 30. Pride of the Lions, Detroit's version of a ring of honor, is a permanent display at Ford Field dedicated to the greatest players in club history.
"We are thrilled to add Calvin Johnson Jr. to the Pride of the Lions," team president and CEO Rod Wood said in a statement. "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."
Johnson will become the 21st member of the Pride of the Lions, joining the likes of Barry Sanders, Alex Karras, Herman Moore, Lem Barney, Dick "Night Train" Lane, Bobby Layne, Dick LeBeau, Jason Hanson and others.
The man known as Megatron generated 11,619 yards and 83 touchdowns on 731 catches over nine seasons in Detroit before he retired following the 2015 season. Johnson earned six Pro Bowl nods and three first-team All-Pro honors. In 2012, he set the NFL single-season receiving yards record at 1,964.
Johnson was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021.
Detroit inducting Megatron into the Pride of the Lions highlights how the club and former player have washed away the bad blood that lingered following the team's effort to force repayment of part of his signing bonus upon his retirement. The Lions have made progress in repairing the relationship with one of the NFL's all-time greats since Sheila Ford Hamp took over as principal owner in 2020.
