Dancing with the Stars: Cast Breakdown

Lindsay Arnold: Calvin Johnson, the football player

Dec 27, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson (81) warms up before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Those NFL stars who appear on a fall series of Dancing with the Stars have to be retired, since the active ones are all off playing football. For this one, though, they did something a little different, recruiting Calvin Johnson, who only just retired. That could potentially be the best of all worlds. Calvin should still be in the shape, which increases his chances of being good. He is still fresh in the minds of the fans of the Detroit Lions, for whom he played his entire career, which will get more of them turning in and voting. But he also has the laurels of all of a long career to benefit from, even if staying with the Lions meant he never played in a Super Bowl. Lindsay still hasn’t been around enough to bring in too many votes, but she may not need to.

This all depends, of course, on his being good. Even though his retirement being recent increases the chances of that, he could still be terrible. Or he could be brilliant. Football players of both yesterday and today run the gamut. He could even be the dreaded kind of football player who can’t dance and then stays on the show way too long.

Next: From football to racing cars for Sharna