rynesandbergfan23
Bench Warmer
NFL.com wire reports
ALLEN PARK, Mich. (May 6, 2007) -- Calvin Johnson's first taste of the NFL taught him a valuable lesson.
"I've got to get in better shape for minicamp," the Detroit Lions wide receiver said. "I didn't realize what the tempo of this was going to be like."
Johnson, the second pick in the draft, was in town for Detroit's three-day rookie camp, which ended May 6. He was joined by his fellow draft picks and a few dozen undrafted players hoping to catch someone's eye.
"We brought in a lot of players, because we wanted this to feel like a training camp," said Detroit coach Rod Marinelli. "We didn't want a dozen guys wandering around on their own, we wanted this to be close to the real thing."
Given what Johnson had to absorb in a little over 48 hours, he knows that the May 15-17 camp for the whole team will be even tougher.
"We got our heads crammed full this weekend," the former Georgia Tech All-American said. "Coach (Mike) Martz told us that we had to pick up enough of the offense so that we would know what we were doing when the veterans get here in 10 days."
Johnson was widely considered the best prospect in the draft, and the Lions surprised many observers by selecting him No. 2 instead of trying to get a package of picks and players from one of the many teams coveting him.
"His talent level and skills are exceptional," Marinelli said. "We just have to go now and start refining him."
That refinement process is why Marinelli wasn't surprised that Johnson's head was overflowing.
Full Story: NFL.com - Detroit Lions Team News
ALLEN PARK, Mich. (May 6, 2007) -- Calvin Johnson's first taste of the NFL taught him a valuable lesson.
"I've got to get in better shape for minicamp," the Detroit Lions wide receiver said. "I didn't realize what the tempo of this was going to be like."
Johnson, the second pick in the draft, was in town for Detroit's three-day rookie camp, which ended May 6. He was joined by his fellow draft picks and a few dozen undrafted players hoping to catch someone's eye.
"We brought in a lot of players, because we wanted this to feel like a training camp," said Detroit coach Rod Marinelli. "We didn't want a dozen guys wandering around on their own, we wanted this to be close to the real thing."
Given what Johnson had to absorb in a little over 48 hours, he knows that the May 15-17 camp for the whole team will be even tougher.
"We got our heads crammed full this weekend," the former Georgia Tech All-American said. "Coach (Mike) Martz told us that we had to pick up enough of the offense so that we would know what we were doing when the veterans get here in 10 days."
Johnson was widely considered the best prospect in the draft, and the Lions surprised many observers by selecting him No. 2 instead of trying to get a package of picks and players from one of the many teams coveting him.
"His talent level and skills are exceptional," Marinelli said. "We just have to go now and start refining him."
That refinement process is why Marinelli wasn't surprised that Johnson's head was overflowing.
Full Story: NFL.com - Detroit Lions Team News
