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Lions' Williams not jealous of Calvin Johnson
by Tom Kowalski Thursday August 21, 2008, 12:15 AM
Mike Itchue | MLive.comDetroit's Roy Williams, right, said he doesn't mind if Calvin Johnson gets all of the attention as long the Lions are in playoff contention.
ALLEN PARK -- The whispers already have started.
"Can Roy Williams handle the fact Calvin Johnson is the new go-to guy?'' and "Will Roy Williams pout if Calvin Johnson becomes the team's new star?''
Williams, the Detroit Lions' fifth-year receiver, finds those kinds of questions amusing.
"Has anybody heard me say anything?'' Williams said after Detroit's Wednesday's practice.
The Lions, who are 2-0 in the preseason, will host the 0-2 Cleveland Browns at 4 p.m. Saturday at Ford Field.
"I wasn't mad when Mac (Shaun McDonald) was catching more balls than me last year and I wasn't mad when Mike Furrey caught more balls than me the first year Mike Martz was here,'' Williams said. "As long as we win, I swear to God, that's all I care about, is winning. If I don't get the ball, then that's fine. If we lose and I don't get the ball, then that's a problem.''
"If we win, I'm good. I've been like that since I've been here.''
But Lions fans and sports talk radio pundits might not be convinced just yet.
Even though McDonald and Furrey caught more balls than Williams the past two seasons, he still was Detroit's most dangerous receiver and capable of scoring from anywhere on the field.
That likely will change this year -- if the preseason is any indication.
While Williams has caught two passes for 26 yards (including a 20-yard touchdown catch in the first preseason game), Johnson has been electric with seven catches for 154 yards (a 22.0-yard average) and a touchdown.
Johnson was Detroit's first-round draft pick last season (and second overall choice in the draft) and the 6-foot-5 and 240-pound receiver has been clocked at 4.35 in the 40-yard dash. As soon as Williams saw Johnson on the practice field last year, Williams said he was preparing to become Detroit's No. 2 receiver.
It didn't happen last year because Johnson suffered a lower back injury in the third game of the season. While he still put up good numbers -- 48 catches, 756 yards and five total touchdowns -- Johnson wasn't able to fully use his speed and leaping ability.
That has changed in the preseason, where Johnson physically overmatches opposing cornerbacks, whether he runs past them or jumps over them to make the catch.
"They're going to have to pay attention to him. The guy's too fast. I might end up with more catches than him, but he'll definitely have more yards,'' said Williams, adding that he's fully aware that he's no longer the Lions' biggest deep threat. "Not at all. I know I can't run with that guy. I'm fast, but he's ... he's the Randy Moss of the 2000 era. He's a Bolt. He's 6-5 and he's a 9.69 guy.''
In the past, Williams has playfully called Johnson "Megatron,'' but now he's got a new comparison.
"Bolt" is Usain Bolt, the 6-5 Jamaican sprinter who recently won Olympic gold medals in the 100- and 200-meter races. Bolt earned the title of "World's Fastest Human'' by setting a world record in the 100 meters at 9.69 seconds.
Williams is going into his contract year and he should get a lucrative paycheck next season, whether he gets franchised, re-signs with the Lions or goes elsewhere as a free agent. Williams said Johnson's brilliance won't overshadow his own work.
"I've already put my game on tape,'' Williams said. "People think that just because Calvin's here or because I haven't gotten the ball in the preseason -- I think I've been in for 26 plays -- that I'm going to be mad and ranting and raving. It's not an issue.''
"It's fun to me. You can't double us or we'll run the ball -- hopefully. If you double me, he'll hurt you and if you double him, then I'm going to hurt you. We're going to get our catches regardless. If he has 100 catches and I have 60 and we're in the playoffs, who gives a crap? I'm all about winning.''
by Tom Kowalski Thursday August 21, 2008, 12:15 AM
Mike Itchue | MLive.comDetroit's Roy Williams, right, said he doesn't mind if Calvin Johnson gets all of the attention as long the Lions are in playoff contention.
ALLEN PARK -- The whispers already have started.
"Can Roy Williams handle the fact Calvin Johnson is the new go-to guy?'' and "Will Roy Williams pout if Calvin Johnson becomes the team's new star?''
Williams, the Detroit Lions' fifth-year receiver, finds those kinds of questions amusing.
"Has anybody heard me say anything?'' Williams said after Detroit's Wednesday's practice.
The Lions, who are 2-0 in the preseason, will host the 0-2 Cleveland Browns at 4 p.m. Saturday at Ford Field.
"I wasn't mad when Mac (Shaun McDonald) was catching more balls than me last year and I wasn't mad when Mike Furrey caught more balls than me the first year Mike Martz was here,'' Williams said. "As long as we win, I swear to God, that's all I care about, is winning. If I don't get the ball, then that's fine. If we lose and I don't get the ball, then that's a problem.''
"If we win, I'm good. I've been like that since I've been here.''
But Lions fans and sports talk radio pundits might not be convinced just yet.
Even though McDonald and Furrey caught more balls than Williams the past two seasons, he still was Detroit's most dangerous receiver and capable of scoring from anywhere on the field.
That likely will change this year -- if the preseason is any indication.
While Williams has caught two passes for 26 yards (including a 20-yard touchdown catch in the first preseason game), Johnson has been electric with seven catches for 154 yards (a 22.0-yard average) and a touchdown.
Johnson was Detroit's first-round draft pick last season (and second overall choice in the draft) and the 6-foot-5 and 240-pound receiver has been clocked at 4.35 in the 40-yard dash. As soon as Williams saw Johnson on the practice field last year, Williams said he was preparing to become Detroit's No. 2 receiver.
It didn't happen last year because Johnson suffered a lower back injury in the third game of the season. While he still put up good numbers -- 48 catches, 756 yards and five total touchdowns -- Johnson wasn't able to fully use his speed and leaping ability.
That has changed in the preseason, where Johnson physically overmatches opposing cornerbacks, whether he runs past them or jumps over them to make the catch.
"They're going to have to pay attention to him. The guy's too fast. I might end up with more catches than him, but he'll definitely have more yards,'' said Williams, adding that he's fully aware that he's no longer the Lions' biggest deep threat. "Not at all. I know I can't run with that guy. I'm fast, but he's ... he's the Randy Moss of the 2000 era. He's a Bolt. He's 6-5 and he's a 9.69 guy.''
In the past, Williams has playfully called Johnson "Megatron,'' but now he's got a new comparison.
"Bolt" is Usain Bolt, the 6-5 Jamaican sprinter who recently won Olympic gold medals in the 100- and 200-meter races. Bolt earned the title of "World's Fastest Human'' by setting a world record in the 100 meters at 9.69 seconds.
Williams is going into his contract year and he should get a lucrative paycheck next season, whether he gets franchised, re-signs with the Lions or goes elsewhere as a free agent. Williams said Johnson's brilliance won't overshadow his own work.
"I've already put my game on tape,'' Williams said. "People think that just because Calvin's here or because I haven't gotten the ball in the preseason -- I think I've been in for 26 plays -- that I'm going to be mad and ranting and raving. It's not an issue.''
"It's fun to me. You can't double us or we'll run the ball -- hopefully. If you double me, he'll hurt you and if you double him, then I'm going to hurt you. We're going to get our catches regardless. If he has 100 catches and I have 60 and we're in the playoffs, who gives a crap? I'm all about winning.''
