Calvin Johnson Wants Caldwell Back - 'Easily One Of My Favorite Coaches'
By Ashley Scoby
@AshleyScoby
Lions head coach Jim Caldwell's support may be waning within the fanbase. But as far as inside the locker room, players generally seem to want Caldwell to return for a third season next year.
Several players have voiced their support for Caldwell in the past few weeks, and wide receiver Calvin Johnson was the latest to add his voice to the chorus.
"I love him," he said. "Everybody in the locker room would probably say the same thing. He commands respect. He doesn't have to do too much. It's just his character guys gravitate towards. Easily one of my favorite coaches. I've had a couple good ones and he's one of my favorites."
No matter what happens Sunday in the Lions' Week 17 matchup against Chicago, Caldwell is guaranteed a winning record during his stint in Detroit. Including the playoff loss last year, Caldwell was 11-6 in his first season, and could top out at 7-9 this season, should the Lions beat the Bears.
He currently has the best winning percentage of any Lions head coach who coached a full season since Joe Schmidt, who went 43-35-7 (a .547 winning percentage) from 1967-72.
Although he's coached a 6-9 team this year, Caldwell has largely been credited with keeping the team together, despite a trainwreck of a start (1-7 during the first half of the season).
"It's just him being him, his character," Johnson said. "Guys see he's a great person, he's a great coach. Guys are gonna fight for that. We didn't start like we wanted to but we've been doing our best to finish the best we can. It's just him being him. He doesn't have to do anything extraordinary. He's a great coach. It's the way he communicates to you. He doesn't demand respect but he gets respect."
And although Johnson said he would bring Caldwell back if it were his choice, he also acknowledged that those choices were out of his "ballpark."
The reality of the NFL, though, is obvious: Coaches have less and less time these days to prove they're winners.
"It's tough. It's win or go home and there's not a lot of leeway," Johnson said. "So you've got to get in, you've got to win right away and if you don't, they'll send you packing."
