Calvin Johnson Claims Lions Forced Him to Lie About Concussion so He Could Play
By Parker White
Former Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson, who retired early back in 2016, is once again talking about his life in the NFL and issues with his previous employer.
Johnson, an an interview with Sports Illustrated, admitted to smoking marijuana after every game to manage the pain and added he suffered at least nine concussions over the course of his career. That includes one in 2012 that caused him blacked out, but the Lions told him to lie about it so he could pass concussion protocol and continue to play.
Calvin Johnson says he knows he suffered a concussion in a 2012 game, and the Lions forced him to change his story publicly. Yikes. https://t.co/KMdcWYkc5l
— kyle meinke (@kmeinke) September 20, 2019
“I knew I was concussed because I blacked out," Johnson told SI. "I wasn’t seeing straight. And they wanted me to change my story.”
No wonder Megatron retired at age 30, even though he was clearly the best receiver in the sport and on his way to possibly being labeled the greatest ever.
Calvin Johnson was one of the best receivers of his era while playing for a completely incompetent team
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) September 20, 2019
He opens up to @Rosenberg_Mike about the physical and mental pain during his NFL career—and how he’s put it in the past https://t.co/TrU9MRadls
Johnson ended up having a strained relationship with the organization, and it came to a head after the Lions asked him for more than $1 million of his signing bonus because of his early retirement.
This story alone proves why he was not willing to do that, and it's hard to blame him.