How did Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson perform at NFL Combine? WR borrowed shoes for 40-yard dash

Former Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson left his legacy on the game with his speed and ability to make plays happen. As the NFL combine begins this week, we take a walk down memory lane and recount one of the greatest combine performances of all time.

In 2007, after playing out his collegiate career at Georgia Tech, he declared for the NFL draft and was expected to be the first wide receiver taken. Johnson originally stated that he wouldn't be running at the NFL combine and would instead do so at his Pro Day at Georgia Tech.

But, at the last minute, he decided to run in front of scouts at the combine. Since he wasn't intending to do so, he didn't bring shoes to run in and had to borrow shoes from another combine participant, although it's never been stated who that was.

Calvin Johnson ended up running the 40 in 4.35, making him one of two players at 6'5 or taller to run the dash in under 4.40 seconds since 2005. No other player at that height has done so since him.

His vertical leap was measured at 42.5 inches and his broad jump at 139 inches, which helped solidify the Detroit Lions' thought process in drafting him with the second overall draft selection in 2007.

How long did WR Calvin Johnson play in the NFL?

The Detroit Lions drafted wide receiver Calvin Johnson with the second overall pick in the 2007 NFL draft. At first, there were rumors that the Lions would either trade the pick or the wide receiver to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but they decided otherwise.

His first NFL contract was for six years and was worth $64 million. At the time, he was the highest paid player in the franchise's history. He led the league in receiving yards in 2011 and 2012 and was the receptions leader in 2012 as well.

The wide receiver was named to the Pro Bowl for six consecutive seasons from 2010 to 2015. He was also a three-time First-Team All-Pro. During his career, he accumulated 11,619 receiving yards and 83 touchdowns.

In March 2016, he surprised many by announcing his retirement from the NFL after nine seasons and at just 30 years old. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021, his first year of eligibility.