Aidan Hutchinson is no stranger to the Detroit Lions after growing up in metro Detroit and playing at the University of Michigan
So on Thursday night at the NFL Draft when the Lions were on the board with the second overall pick, he was thrilled to see the Detroit area code when his phone lit up.
“I knew that was definitely a deep sigh of relief from me and my whole family for sure,’’ Hutchinson said on Friday at a media briefing at the Lions facility in Allen Park.
An edge rusher, Hutchinson fills a need on Detroit’s defense and he couldn’t be happier to be playing near home.
Five things to know about Hutchinson:
1. He should be a good fit in the Lions’ defensive scheme. “I think the play style is just relentless, it’s nasty and it’s what the whole coaching staff was brought here under coach Campbell, that’s the mentality,’’ Hutchinson said. “I come in and bring that same mentality that’s why I’m a perfect fit for this scheme and the Detroit grit. I think I fit that mold.’’
2. He loved his pre-draft visit with the Lions. “Out of all the visits, the Lions was one of my most seamless ones because of how smooth it was and it was so easy to talk football and to communicate with all these coaches.’’ Hutchinson said. “I think that’s going to lead to some future success, for sure.’’
3. On Friday, after a flight in from Las Vegas and not much sleep, Hutchinson said it had not hit him yet that he was a Lion. “Just walking around the building today with my family, it’s just weird. Growing up I was a Michigan guy, I’m around Detroit sports so much,’’ Hutchinson said. “To think I’m a Lion seems like a wild dream to me, but now it’s kind of come true. It’s wild but I’m soaking it all in, I’m sure one of these days it’s going to hit me.’’
4. After following in his father’s footsteps at Michigan, Aidan is in uncharted waters now. His dad, Chris, was a Michigan captain who won Team MVP in his final season in 1992. Instead of playing in the NFL, Chris attended medical school and now works as an emergency room physician at Royal Oak Beaumont. “I’m starting to get into territory that my dad hasn’t even been in, it’s starting to get a little foreign for him, I’ll have to navigate this on my own,’’ Aidan Hutchinson said with a smile.
5. He grew up a Detroit sports fan but admitted he doesn’t have a ton of great memories from the Lions, mentioning the 0-16 season. He wasn’t born when the Lions won their last playoff game on Jan. 5, 1992. “I’ve been to a couple LIons games and the atmosphere is great. When the Lions are winning ball games it’s like happy wife, happy life,’’ Hutchinson said. “The fans are just so into it, so I just hope that we’ve got the right pieces coming in, the coaches are right, we have to get this ball rolling.’’
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