Detroit Lions fans know very well how awesome Calvin Johnson was at playing wide receiver for the franchise. That feeling transcended to the players who tried to stop Johnson, too.
In the latest episode of his eponymous podcast on PFF, longtime NFL cornerback Richard Sherman shows some love to Johnson. Sherman was clearly impressed with Megatron, calling him “arguably the best player I’ve ever played against.”
Sherman was a big cornerback with a physical style, but even he admits to struggling against Johnson. The two were both first-team All-Pros in 2012 and 2013.
“Your hands are beyond full the entire game when dealing with him,” Sherman said, “because not only can he give you a long day and score points and do all that, but it might likely be an embarrassing play that’s gonna live on the internet forever.”
Sherman also brought up his childhood teammate, Desean Jackson, as the toughest guy to cover for purely speed standards. He also couldn’t resist taking a shot at the Lions organization for letting Johnson retire earlier than anyone wanted. Sherman refreshed the painful Lions memory of the Johnson fumble out of the back of the end zone that Seattle LB K.J. Wright illegally batted but went uncalled, too.
