Former tight end Eric Ebron has recalled his rough start with the Detroit Lions. In the spotlight: Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson.

Eric Ebron shared an anecdote about his time with the Detroit Lions on the “Raw Room” podcast.

The tight end, who last played in the NFL in 2021, spent four years with the Michigan franchise from 2014 to 2017, serving as a receiver for quarterback Matthew Stafford.

That wasn’t easy for him, especially at the beginning, said Ebron, whom Detroit drafted in the first round with the 10th overall pick out of the University of North Carolina in 2014.

“Matt Stafford throws the ball hard as hell, man. I’ve never seen anything like it. He dislocated four of my fingers. I tried to figure out how it works,“ the 33-year-old reported.

Eric Ebron on Matthew Stafford: ”‘Relax’“

After the problems persisted, he sought out a conversation with Stafford. ”I told him, ‘Man, you don’t have to throw that hard. I’m five yards away from you. Relax.’”

Stafford didn’t change his approach, though. Ebron defended his former quarterback, however: “It’s not his fault. It’s my job to catch the damn ball.” But he wasn’t the only Lions receiver who struggled with the force of Stafford’s throws. It wasn’t easy for Detroit legend Calvin Johnson either.

“‘Megatron’ always taped his fingers because he’d wreck ‘Megatron’s’ fingers too. That’s why he took me aside and said, ‘I’ll teach you how I deal with this stuff,’” Ebron recalled.

Eric Ebron shares a curious anecdote about “Megatron” Calvin Johnson

But a meeting at Johnson’s house turned out differently than expected: “At some point, he invited me over to his house. It was my second year. No one was ever invited to ‘Megatron’s’ house. He had two joints rolled and said, ‘We’re going to solve this problem.’ At that meeting, we smoked and played 2K. That completely changed my perspective,” Ebron grinned.

Despite the initial difficulties with Stafford, Ebron was able to hold his own in the NFL for eight years. After four years in Detroit, he moved to the Indianapolis Colts for two seasons before spending two more years with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Over his career, he caught a total of 351 passes for 3,837 receiving yards and scored 36 touchdowns.