DETROIT -- Nearly a decade has passed since Detroit Lions great Calvin Johnson abruptly retired from the NFL after the 2015 season at age 30, but on Monday night, the Hall of Fame receiver will get a permanent spot among the greatest players in team history.
Johnson will enter the Pride of the Lions during halftime of Detroit's homecoming game against the Seattle Seahawks, which honors the brightest stars in team history at Ford Field.
Johnson said his relationship with the team is "definitely on the up and up" and he's excited for the recognition.
For years, Johnson's relationship with the team was soured after being forced to pay back a little more than $1 million to the franchise upon his retirement after the 2015 season, but he has returned to the fold with Lions chief operating officer Mike Disner helping salvage ties.
"It's definitely on the up and up," said Johnson, known as "Megatron" during his career. "We've come a long ways from when I left here and that I don't know how long it was now ... eight, nine years ago to where we are now. It's been efforts on both sides to get us back to this point and I'm just happy to be at the point to have my kids here and being able to see the things that I was able to accomplish on the field.
"And that's exciting for just all my family just to be able to see the kids and they're like, 'Oh, this what Daddy did.' It's cool."
The Pride of the Lions launched in 2009 and Johnson will join 20 other franchise greats, including Barry Sanders, Herman Moore, Lomas Brown and Chris Spielman. Johnson also celebrated his 39th birthday Sunday night with a star-studded induction ceremony dinner held ahead of gameday in the Hall of Legends at Ford Field, with Moore and Brown both in attendance.
When asked, Johnson said he still had no regrets about retiring early.
"The misconception is I retired at the top of my game. I mean, I retired at the time when my body was breaking down," Johnson said. "Y'all saw me putting out numbers, but I was putting out numbers my whole career. It was just at this point in time where I wasn't in a position where I was willing to put in the level of work it took for me to get to where I needed to be in the offseason to go into a full season because it just hurt so much.
"That takes the fun out of the game when you're just running and playing in pain all the time. I mean what y'all say, yeah, I could still put up 1,000 yards, that's not hard. If I get the ball."
Johnson led the NFL in receiving yards (11,619) and receiving touchdowns (83) during his nine-year career from 2007 to 2015. He also holds Lions franchise records for career receptions (731), receiving yards (11,619) and receiving touchdowns (83), but Sanders could feel his absence from the Pride of the Lions display as both parties were looking to mend their relationship, stemming from Johnson's early retirement.
"It was essential. I think it was something we all hoped for and glad to see fences get mended and time tends to do that in a lot of ways," Sanders said in August. "You never have to wonder what Calvin means for Lions fans and this organization. So, from one Lion to another in Calvin, it's only right for him to get that recognition.
"He deserved it. A lot of us felt like there was something missing."
Inside the current Lions locker room, Johnson is widely respected for his body of work on the field and for offering mentorship, whenever necessary.
"One of the best to ever do it at the receiver position, so to have him around, obviously I'm a fan, first and foremost as a kid, but to have him around and ask him questions," said Lions receiver Amon-Ra St Brown. "I would say, my game and his game are polar opposites, but still, we play the same position, and we go through the same things so, to have him around is a blessing and an honor and I'm glad he's able to finally get the recognition he deserves."
Johnson says he hopes to bring the team good luck as the Lions (2-1) will break out their all-black alternate uniforms for the first time on "Monday Night Football." The team, which is trying to end a five-game losing streak against Seattle, hasn't worn the uniforms since 2007 when Johnson was on the team.
"He's one of them ones for this program and for this business. He's one of the greatest to ever play this game, at this position. Even outside of his position, what he did was still unbelievable," Lions receiver Jameson Williams said. "I just feel like this is great for him. His accomplishments are undeniable, and I feel like it maybe should've came a little bit earlier."