Already set to grace the cover of the long-awaited "Madden NFL 13" video game when it hits stores later this month, Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson has also been scooped up as the cover athlete for ESPN The Magazine's NFL preview issue.
↵Johnson alone will be front and center on the cover, which will hit all markets. The Pro Bowl wideout is pictured squeezing the air out of a helpless football in full Lions gear before a white background. In addition to the impressive shot of the Detroit star, the cover also features a blurb that reads, "Calvin Johnson is really, really good," which is one heck of an understatement.
↵Along with following in their footsteps as the "Madden" game's cover athlete, Johnson also joins Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick (2011) and Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis (2010) as the latest individual players to command the cover of ESPN's preview issue. In order find the right shot to use, though, the 6-foot-5-inch Johnson took part in a fun photo shoot with the Worldwide Leader, which was obviously caught on video:
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