Calvin Johnson

Regarded by many as the premier receiver in college football, Johnson has that rare blend of size, strength and quickness that saw him immediately develop into the Yellow Jackets' most dangerous offensive weapon. A starter since arriving on campus, he ranks fifth in school history in receiving yards (2,151) and receptions (121) and third in touchdown catches (20) in just 28 games at Tech. During that span, he amassed more than 40 percent of the team's passing yardage and hauled in 20 of the team's 38 passing touchdowns. The two-time All-American (freshman team in 2004) and All-Atlantic Coast Conference first-team selection has drawn heavy praise from his coaching staff, opponents and the media. Georgia Tech head coach Chan Gailey said, "I've never had one like him. Not in college, not in the NFL. I've never had another receiver that big and that fast with that kind of hand-eye coordination." ESPN.com's Bruce Feldman called Johnson, "The most gifted wideout in the country. He is worth the price of admission by himself. Just ask Miami, whose top-ranked pass defense had no answers for the sophomore this season. I think he's a bigger, faster version of Larry Fitzgerald and will be a sure-fire Pro Bowler." Chris Fowler of ESPN College GameDay said, "Calvin Johnson's the most impressive wide receiver, from field level, I've ever seen in college football." Fowler's ESPN partner, Kirk Herbstreit, called Johnson, "Physically one of the most dynamic players in the country. Great in the classroom, incredibly humble, just a total package. He is the most humble superstar I have ever met. Every player on this team loves Calvin Johnson." Even opponents heap praises on Johnson. Virginia cornerback Marcus Hamilton said, "You've just got to do your absolute best to try and contain him because he does so many things well. Even when he's not catching the ball, if a running back's running behind him, he's so strong he can block you." Miami linebacker linebacker Jon Beason called Johnson, "Quiet and humble and easygoing. You (saw) him as a freshman emerging as a star. When it's crunch time, they went to him. Now, it's at the point where there's not a situation he hasn't been in. It's fourth down, he knows the ball's coming to him. I don't believe that he is nervous because he's done it before. He's just developed into a dependable guy." Johnson was one of the nation's most highly sought recruits coming out of Sandy Creek High School, where he ranked among the top 10 prep receivers, according to virtually every recruiting service. He was named to the Super Southern 100 by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Rivals 100 by Rivals.com, TheInsiders.com Hot 100, the Super Prep All-American 275 and the Prep Star Top 100 Dream Team. He was rated the third-best player in Georgia, and No. 37 prospect in the nation by Rivals.com. Johnson also earned first-team All-State Class AAAA accolades from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution after he caught 40 passes for 736 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior. He added 34 receptions for 646 yards and 10 scores as a junior for two-year totals of 80 catches for 1,479 yards and 18 touchdowns. The true freshman immediately earned a starting job at flanker for Georgia Tech in 2004. He was a Freshman All-American and Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year, becoming the first Tech freshman and 11th in league history to earn first-team All-ACC recognition. He ranked second in the conference with an average of 69.75 yards per game receiving and third with an average of 4.0 catches per game. Johnson led the team with 48 receptions for 837 yards (127.4 avg) and seven touchdowns, adding 10 yards and a score on three reverses and made a solo tackle. Fifteen of his grabs were for 20 yards or longer. In 2006, Johnson established himself as the nation's elite receiver when he was awarded the Biletnikoff Award. The consensus All-American and All-Atlantic Coast Conference pick was bothered early in the year by a leg bruise, but led the ACC with an average of 5.43 receptions and 85.86 yards per game, catching a career-high 76 passes for 1,202 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also gained 30 yards on seven reverses and completed one pass for a seven-yard gain. Johnson started every game (38) during his Yellow Jackets career. He ranks second in school history with 178 receptions and first with 2,927 yards (16.4 avg). His 28 touchdown grabs set a school career record, and he totaled 61 yards on 11 reverses while also adding three solo tackles and returning one punt for a seven-yard loss. Forty-five of his 178 catches were for 20 yards or longer.

04 and with his jumping skills (45 inches) along with his long reach, it is hard to imagine the smaller cornerbacks having success in batting away 21 of those passes thrown to him the last two-plus years...better down field than on deep routes, as he tends to lose sight of the ball over his head...has some hip stiffness when trying to change direction and this will sometimes prevent him from making sharp cuts (takes wasted steps)...needs to show better hip sink on his cuts...tends to lose concentration working in a crowd, leading to several missed opportunities (hears defender's footsteps)...gets his feet down properly when working along the side-lines, but must be more alert to the quarterback scramble... despite his strength, he will struggle and get frustrated by a physical jam.

Compares To

positives

Has a tall, thick frame, with long arms, large hands, thick thighs and calves and a big bubble...His long legs let him ride up on the defender quickly while looking effortless in his stride...Shows good closing speed running under sideline throws and the quickness to get into his routes without being impeded...Good power receiver on crossers and side-line throws, using his strength and size to shield the ball from defenders...Has strong hands to secure the ball before running (no fumbles) and the second gear to turn a short pass into a long gainer...Very physical in his initial step off the ball, but he also has the quickness to immediately defeat the press...Best when operating along the sidelines where he can build to top speed and maintain it throughout his route...Knows how to use his body and has a knack for finding the open spots in the zone...In man coverage, he is very adept at using his burst to separate consistently...Has the long arms and body control to go over people to get to the ball and did it with more regularity in 2006 than in the past...Knows how to get open and understands sticks and boundaries, doing a nice job of keeping his feet in bounds...Big target who can't be rerouted by a strong hand push and is learning how to use his long arms to go over defenders (did not have any passes deflected through five 2006 games, compared to 21 during the first 24 games of his career)...Can be very explosive in his rise and shows natural hand extension to reach and pluck away from the frame...Generates a strong jolt with them to defeat the press and works hard with his hands to sustain when blocking in-line...It is rare to see him use his body to field the ball, as he is perfectly capable of extending for the pass at its high point...Terrific load to bring down after the catch...Strong open field runner who will drag defenders when fighting for extra yardage... Even though there is not a lot of shake in his hips and he is a bit of a long strider, he runs with the power needed to break tackles consistently...Uses his hands with force to lock on and sustain and can generate devastating cut blocks in the open...Can dominate smaller defensive backs and shows good angles getting out to neutralize second level defenders...Stays low in his pads and shows good intent when delivering his hand punch vs. the bull rush...Has that deceptive burst that lets him gobble up the defender's cushion in an instant...Has excellent body control for a player his size, contorting and adjusting to get to the off-target throws with ease...Has the second gear needed to separate after the catch and demonstrates very good head fakes and spin moves to leave defenders grasping at air...Will not hesitate to stretch out and sacrifice his body to make the catch...Knows how to use his long legs to turn on the extra gear to get under the ball in a hurry...When he times his leaps and catches with fingers extended, he can reach and pluck the ball in jump ball battles.

negatives

Has good overall body control, but sometimes does not play up to his timed speed...Even though he has good leaping ability, his timing is sometimes off, as he doesn't win as many jump ball battles as you would expect from a player of his size and arm extension...Demonstrates good toughness battling for the ball, but he has also left quite a few passes on the field, perhaps due to poor passing precision from the quarterback position, but he has caught only 127 of 271 passes thrown to him...For a player over 6

2004: Left the Champs Sports Bowl vs. Syracuse after suffering a left knee sprain (12/21). 2006: Suffered a thigh contusion in the second quarter vs. Troy (9/16) and was forced from the game, returning for three plays later before again going to the sidelines.

Campus: 4.47 in the 40-yard dash

45-inch vertical jump

335-pound bench press

33 3/8-inch arm length

9 7/8-inch hands. Combine: 4.4 in the 40-yard dash

1.55 10-yard dash

2.58 20-yard dash.

Attended Sandy Creek (Tyrone, Ga.) High School, playing football for head coach Rodney Walker

One of the nation's most highly sought recruits, he ranked among the top 10 prep receivers, according to virtually every recruiting service

Named to the Super Southern 100 by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Rivals 100 by Rivals.com, TheInsiders.com Hot 100, the Super Prep All-American 275 and the Prep Star Top 100 Dream Team

Rated the third-best player in Georgia, and No. 37 prospect in the nation by Rivals.com

Earned first-team All-State Class AAAA accolades from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution after he caught 40 passes for 736 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior

Added 34 receptions for 646 yards and 10 scores as a junior for two-year totals of 80 catches for 1,479 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Building Construction major

Son of Arica and Calvin Johnson

Born 9/25/85

Resides in Tyrone, Georgia.