There was a time back in the day where the mere thought of getting your own signature shoe was a sign that you had officially made it as a professional athlete. Contracts will will get bigger, Twitter followers will increase and the opportunity to get your blood spun in Germany will always be there, but getting your own signature shoe? Still rarefied air, word to MJ. However, Calvin Johnson has now officially upped the ante.
The man got his own Transformer action figure. Per the good folks at Nike Inc.:
Nike Football champions the TRANSFORMERS “More Than Meets the Eye” qualities of Calvin Johnson, Jr. by teaming up with Hasbro on the Nike CJ81 Megatron Trainer Max. As a special addition, the Nike CJ81 Megatron Trainer Max is sold with a first ever Hasbro TRANSFORMERS action figure designed for an athlete in conjunction with a shoe release.
Calvin Johnson, Jr. has redefined the wide-receiver position and become an un-guardable force with a powerful nickname - MEGATRON. Like the fictional TRANSFORMERS DECEPTICON leader, Johnson taps into his superhuman-like skills to push the limits of his position, and the game, in a relentless quest for dominance.
Nike will release the CJ81 Megatron Trainer Max in conjunction with the Megatron Rises 3-pack, which will include Johnson's signature shoe, the Megatron Nike Air Trainer SC II and a special edition Nike CJ81 Megatron Elite TD Cleat. Oh, and let me not forget the 5-inch purple and red Transformers Megatron action figure inspired by Calvin Johnson mirrors the cues of his signature Nike CJ81 Megatron Trainer Max. Produced in collaboration with Hasbro, this "toy" makes me want to be 5 years old again and beg my mom for one of these.
Who knows, maybe I will. Well...maybe it'll be for the action figure, or the CJ81 Trainers....or the Air Trainer SC II's...or the cleats...nah, not the cleats. I'm too old for that.
Check the gallery below for more images on the Megatron Rises 3-pack, and if you're looking to cop then get ready to hit the (online) stores early. Only 81 Megatron Rises Packs will release exclusively at 21 Mercer in NYC, select Nike Yardline doors, and Nike.com. The CJ81 Megatron Trainer Max and the Megatron Nike Air Trainer SC II will be available at select Nike retail locations and online at nike.com.
ArrayEddie Maisonet is the founder and editor emeritus of The Sports Fan Journal. Currently, he serves as an associate editor for ESPN.com. He is an unabashed Russell Westbrook and Barry Switzer apologist, owns over 100 fitteds and snapbacks, and lives by Reggie Jackson’s famous quote, “I am the straw that stirs the drink.”