STERLING HEIGHTS — Lions wide receiver Nate Burleson can’t remember when Calvin Johnson’s injured finger was straight like his other nine. 

“It was a while, I don’t remember it being normal, a couple years. He couldn’t straighten it. So basically he was catching the ball with nine fingers,’’ Burleson said on Monday at an appearance for the Defeat Hunger Bowl at Walmart.

After Johnson’s finger surgery, he sent Burleson a text complete with photo.

“First of all he never texts anybody he’s the worst,’’ Burleson said. “He sent out these Freddy Krueger Saw 6 pictures. It was dee-sgusting. it was literally the worst thing I’ve ever seen. It was gross.

“I’m glad that his finger is better. We had a lot of jokes that we poured down on him about that afflicted finger,’’ Burleson said.

Johnson didn’t look like himself in more than a few games last season with more drops than usual.

Now we know why. What we don’t know is why it took so long to have the finger surgically repaired.

Johnson also has had minor knee surgery since the season ended.

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