ALLEN PARK — Calvin Johnson visited the Detroit Lions minicamp on Thursday. The Hall of Famer has not been a familiar site around the team since he retired after the 2015 season, but has mended fences in recent months.
Johnson said he was there Thursday to inquire about equipment for a football camp he is going to run on Saturday at the Lions’ facility. When most players were off the field, he got a lesson on how to start the motor that runs the JUGS machine which throws passes, punts and kickoffs.
He arrived fairly early and stayed until the end of the session which lasted nearly two hours.
Johnson was spotted talking on the sidelines and shaking hands with Rod Wood, the team president.
He also chatted with several players and Sheila Ford Hamp, principal owner and chairwoman of the Lions. She was attending for the second straight day.
This isn’t the first sighting at the Lions facility recently. Johnson was on hand to welcome first-round picks Jahmyr Gibbs and Jack Campbell the day after they were drafted in April.
Johnson also chatted with Lions GM Brad Holmes after practice.
Coach Dan Campbell, a former Lions tight end, was teammates with Johnson in 2007 and 2008.
EXTRA: If you’re at the Taylor Swift concert at Ford Field and see a guy who looks like Dan Campbell, it’s him. While he’s more of a Metallica kind of guy, he will be there with his wife and guests.
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