DETROIT -- Roy Williams will happily share some catches with rookie Calvin Johnson.
He's not going to give up his fans.
Johnson was cheered every time he touched the ball at the Detroit Lions' public workout Saturday at Ford Field, but it was Williams who entertained the crowd.
"It's great to be out here, having some fun with our fans," Williams said.
Early in the 90-minute workout, Williams caught a touchdown pass from Jon Kitna, then sprinted over to the stands to high-five a brand-new bride.
"That was a first for me," he said with a grin.
Laurie Smith, her new husband Joel and their entire wedding party had carved out a few hours of their wedding day for their favorite sports teams. They had pictures taken in front of Comerica Park, then came over to watch the Lions.
"I'm a season-ticket holder, and I told Joel that I wanted to do this," the Redford native said, still wearing her gown. "I love the Lions - I have ever since they had Barry Sanders - and we've got plenty of time to get back for the reception."
Even Lions coach Rod Marinelli, who was trying to keep things as businesslike as possible, was happy to see the Smiths.
"That's just awesome," he said. "We have great fans."
Johnson looked impressive, one day after signing his six-year contract, but it was Williams who had the play of the afternoon. In a late two-minute drill, he made a juggling catch in the corner of the end zone, then mimed giving the ball to a fan in an empty section of seats.
"I got my feet down - no doubt about it," he said. "I had dropped one earlier, so I told my teammates that I owed them one. That was it."
Williams seemed taken aback when asked if Johnson's presence pushes him.
"Calvin doesn't push me - I don't need to be pushed," he said. "He's a great player, but he's going to have to push himself to get to the level of Mike Furrey and I."
Notes:Marinelli was happy with the workout, but didn't miss Kevin Smith's out of bounds hit on Troy Walters during the two-minute drill. "I told them that we had to avoid getting excited by the lights and the fans and getting away from what we are supposed to do," he said. "That's exactly what I meant, and I'm going to teach off what he did. We cannot make mistakes like that and beat ourselves." ... Eddie Drummond, who is competing with Walters for the kick returning job, sat out the workout with a sore hamstring. ... The crowd featured a large number of Tigers jerseys, as many fans came down for the open practice before attending the Tigers-White Sox game Saturday night. Other fans stayed at Ford Field to watch a broadcast of the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, including former Lion Charlie Sanders, on the stadium video screens.
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press
