Mapletron. Yes, it’s now what Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool goes by.
The nickname started circulating shortly after the NFL Draft partially because of his Canadian heritage. Mapletron is derived from the national symbol of Canada, the maple leaf. It is also a play on the Transformers character Megatron.
The nickname Megatron originated with former Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson. It’s partially a nod to the 2021 Hall of Fame nominee, who played for Detroit from 2007 to 2015. Johnson earned the name Megatron because of his combination of height, hands and raw athletic ability.
Since Claypool and Johnson have complementary traits (though Chase is certainly faster), the nickname comparison is legit.
If you refer to Chase Claypool as anything other than “Mapletron”.. we are missing an incredible nickname opportunity here.
— Kevin Adams (@KevinAdams26) April 25, 2020
Chase Claypool (courtesy of MockDraftable)
Lions fans, however, are up in arms about the Mapletron nickname because of the comparison to Chase and their beloved Calvin.
“Can you stop calling Chase Claypool “Mapletron”? He’s nowhere near as good as Calvin Johnson.”
Steelers fans:
— Across The Bridge (@ATBPGH) April 27, 2020
The epithet has certainly caught on. Even the CBS broadcasters referred to Mapletron during the Steelers-Texans game.
Chase, himself, has fully embraced the Mapletron moniker. To take advantage of the hype, he recently started a line of Mapletron-branded merch. You can find items at Chase’s web site TeamClaypool.com.
You guys asked! We delivered!
Mapletron merch just dropped and it’s available at https://t.co/96SFexz8LZ
Retweet for a chance to win a free care package 💛🖤 pic.twitter.com/AdmonbVgG5— Chase Claypool (@ChaseClaypool) September 17, 2020
