Calvin Johnson is one of the best wide receivers the NFL has ever seen. In his nine-year career, Johnson amassed records and accolades that few players have achieved. However, his success has a secret: he played some of his best games under the influence of marijuana.
Johnson was an exceptional player. After a brilliant stint at Georgia Tech, he entered the NFL as the second overall pick in the 2007 Draft by the Detroit Lions, where he made an immediate impact.
His best year came in 2012, when he recorded 122 receptions for 1,964 yards and five touchdowns. Throughout his career, Johnson caught 731 passes for 11,619 yards and 83 touchdowns.
The Hall of Famer retired in 2015, when many considered him still in his prime. Ten years later, Johnson revealed one of the best-kept secrets of his career.
Calvin Johnson’s secret
In a recent interview on the St. Brown Podcast, “Megatron” Johnson opened up about a topic that is still considered controversial today: marijuana use among professional athletes.
During the interview, Johnson admitted to using cannabis regularly, especially while driving to the stadium for home games. “Yeah. You can only be so faded, though,” he admitted.
However, he also clarified, “I didn’t do it until towards the end of my career because I was at this point where I was like, ‘Man, I don’t know how the hell I’m going to get through this game today.'”
The Lions former star recalled that in those moments he would pray, “Lord, help me guide my feet.” However, in the end, he usually decided, “You know what? F*ck it, I’m going to spark this thing up.”
What are the NFL’s rules regarding marijuana use?
Johnson
was very emphatic in clarifying, “I probably did it a handful of times throughout my career. The funny thing is, more times than not, I had a good game too. I never had a bad game.”
His cannabis use was when the league prohibited its use and had strict controls to detect it. In those years, the penalties were much more severe than they are today.
Today, the NFL has greatly relaxed its rules. Evidence regarding the therapeutic properties of marijuana, especially in the relief of chronic pain, has led to greater tolerance for its use by the league.
Regarding this, Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce recently stated that between 50% and 80% of NFL players use marijuana.
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