EXCLUSIVE: Herman Moore On Calvin Johnson Possibly Retiring: 'You Can't Buy Time, You Can't Buy Health'
By Terry Foster
@terryfoster971
Calvin Johnson is the Lions all-time leader in receiving yards and receptions. Herman Moore is second.
Johnson is likely to retire under his own terms during this off-season. Moore did not get that opportunity with the Lions. He wanted to play more.
However, he totally understands why Johnson might walk away from the money, fame and ride off into the sunset because of health reasons. The NFL is a house of pain that most fans will never understand.
"If somebody gave you a billion dollars but you are going to die in a certain period of time and have problems later in life some people may say yeah," Moore said. "But you can't buy time. You can't buy health. If you have not experienced it you don't understand. You also must say how much is too much. This guy is a multi-millionaire."
Johnson is potentially walking away from $15.9 million next season.
"But if you are already set for life what is the extra money for," Moore said. "You have to put everything in prospective when you are looking at a guy like Calvin Johnson. As a society you can't just look at him and say this is what we would do. What goes through the mind of a professional athlete who has been very successful, financially secure and really doesn't have a whole lot to prove?"
Johnson is not your typical athlete. That is why he can walk away.
CJ does not spend lavishly. He cooks at home and one of his favorite hobbies is cooking on a Big Green Egg. If you are over to the house, you must try the tacos and fish. Johnson is not at the strip club making it rain.
When he is out with teammates, he remains in the background. Someone described Johnson as a superstar with a long snapper mentality. He is just one of the crowd.
That is why Johnson can walk away from the game. He is not in debt, playing over injury just to remain financially sound.
Johnson is in pain. That is something fans do not understand. Moore does.
Moore played 11 seasons with the Lions from 1991 to 2001, much of it with Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders. He was an old-school Megatron, having caught 670 passes for 9,174 yards and 63 touchdowns. From 1995 to 1997 Moore caught 123, 106 and 104 passes. He got hit and got hit hard. Moore said the hits piled up during the season and by mid-season his body told him it needed a rest.
"When you are a starter during the season you push through," Moore said. "While your body is beat up you do feel the affects week in and week out especially when you get to the half way point. Some of those things kick in a little bit but they don't necessarily slow you down but at the end of the season it is like anything else, it all hits you all at once. And when it happens the body tells you and it shuts down. You need that time off. I think more so than the physical side is the mental. The body is going to go when the mind goes."
Terry Foster can be reached at Terry.Foster@cbsradio.com.