ESPN First Take - Lions" Calvin Johnson Retires From NFL
Detroit Red Wings Danny DeKeyser, left, and Justin Abdelkader.(Photo: Helene St. James DFP)
COLUMBUS, Ohio --As fellow professional athletes and Michiganders, the Detroit Red Wings are disappointed -- and appreciative.
News that Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson hadretiredspread around the Wings"locker room just as they hit the ice this morning at Nationwide Arena.
"It"s a little disappointing," defenseman Danny DeKeyser said. "He"s one of the best receivers that the game has seen in awhile and that the Lions have had in awhile, so it"s tough to see him go.
"He was just always a solid red-zone option. He was always getting double-teamed in the end zone. Guys just couldn"t stop him. He was a beast."
More Calvin Johnson retirement news:
DeKeyser, who was born in Detroit, said he has attended "a few" Lions games, so "I"ve seen him in person. He was always one of the best players on the field and always fun to watch."
Wings coach Jeff Blashill, born in Detroit and raised in Sault Ste. Marie, said, "I"ve been a Lions fan my whole life.
"Calvin is one of the greats. A pleasure to watch, for sure. Everybody knows their own time line and when their time is done, and he"s doing it on his own time line. But what a great sports figure in the city of Detroit. He will be remembered for a long time."
As a coach, Blashill sees firsthand what it takes for superstar athletes to maintain their level of play, especially as they get older. Heviews it daily in Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg.
"I think, from the outside looking in, too many times, people talk about how talented they are," Blashill said. "Well, talent, most of the time, comes from hard work and comes from your daily approach. Calvin, I"m sure, without having seen it but from what I"ve heard, I"m sure he is similar to (Jaromir) Jagr and Pavel and Hank, all the great ones.
"You don"t become great by chance or happenstance. You become great by your daily choices, and I"m sure Calvin made those choices on a daily basis."
Justin Abdelkader, from Muskegon, raved about "some of the unbelievable catches" Johnson made during his career."He"s made a couple of them where he"s made, kind of between like three guys, jumping over them. It"s disappointing to see him retire, because he"s so fun to watch."
Contact Helene St. James: hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames.
Read or Share this story: http://on.freep.com/1p5AsSK
Source: http://www.freep.com/story/sports/nhl/red-wings/2016/03/08/calvin-johnson-detroit-red-wings/81481924/
No comments:
Post a Comment