Lions Lowdown

ALLEN PARK >> Luke Willson apologized for sweating when he took the podium on Tuesday.

The Lions tight end said he didn’t usually sweat that much so apparently he’s working out hard in his first offseason in Detroit.

Willson, who signed with the Lions as a free agent, seemed totally comfortable talking to the media. He even asked for softball questions when he hopped up to the podium.

“I’m a local guy take it easy on me,’’ Willson asked, half-joking.

Five things to know:

1. He grew up in LaSalle, Ontario, (minutes from the Ambassador Bridge) and was a big Lions fan especially during the Barry Sanders and Herman Moore days. “Fun fact, David Sloan was my tight ends coach in college so we had a full-circle thing. Johnnie Morton’s brother, Chad, was out in Seattle … I liked the Lions growing up with that being said I think it’s important for me to establish the divide yeah i was a fan of the team but I’m here to do a job,’’ Willson said. Sloan was a tight end with the Lions from 1995 to 2001.

2. In his five seasons in Seattle, Willson had 89 catches for 1,129 yards and 11 touchdowns. He’s uncertain what his role will be with the Lions. “At this part of the offseason, phase 2, it’s too early to talk about roles. I’m here to do whatever the coaches ask me, right now with CBA rules, personally it’s about getting better each day,’’ Willson said. “A lot of individual stuff, showing the coaches what I can do and from there they’ll decide what role I’ll be playing this year.’’

3. Willson spent the last three seasons in the same tight ends room with Jimmy Graham in Seattle. With the Lions, there is not one big name guy who is a tight end on the roster. “I’d say we’re learning together. At the same time, it’s been a lot of fun in that sense where everything is new to a lot of us. Mike Rob (Roberts) has been here longest for a year. Hakeem (Valles) has been here for last year. Even for me as a veteran guy bouncing stuff off Hakeem, but it’s been fun in the sense I can tell them some stuff as far as being a little bit older and they can help me out. It’s been great, I think we all get along pretty well,’’ Willson said.

4. Willson responded, “Absolutely not” when asked if the Matt Patricia controversy that arose last week will hang over the team this season. “He spoke to the team at the team meeting what happened at the team meeting stays in there. We all support him. It’s back to football for us. We’re pretty focused right now,’’ Willson said. “To be honest I kept an open mind, I believe in Coach Patricia and listened to what he said.’’

5. Here’s what he wants fans to know about him: “You know I want, I kind of grew up in the blue collar area that this is, Windsor is an automotive city as well. My parents weren’t in the automotive industry but good friends and family are,’’ Willson said. “I think I bring a part of that to my personality and a part of that to my game playing — a little grimy here and there, a little blue collar we’ll see how it goes.’’

ALLEN PARK — Lions coach Matt Patricia was scheduled to address the media on Thursday to discuss this weekend’s rookie minicamp.

Instead he stood behind the podium for nearly seven minutes in front of a jam-packed media room, to address the Detroit News story that reported he was indicted but not tried in a sexual assault case when he was 21 years old on spring break.

“I’m here to defend my honor and clear my name,’’ Patricia said in his opening statement.

Lions owner Martha Firestone Ford, who rarely attends news conferences, was in attendance displaying her support, along with general manager Bob Quinn, team president Rod Wood and Lions counsel Jay Colvin.

The team issued a statement on Wednesday night giving their full backing to Patricia. Their attendance on Thursday emphasized their support.

“Mrs. Ford, her family, Rod and Bob are unbelievable people. I can’t express to you how amazing human beings they are, compassionate and understanding,’’ said Patricia who was hired in January to replace Jim Caldwell.

After thanking the Lions’ organization, he stated: “Twenty-two years ago I was falsely accused of something very serious, very serious allegations. There were claims made about me that never happened. I am thankful on one level that the process worked and the case was dismissed. At the same time, I was never given the opportunity to defend myself or to allow push-back with the truth to clear my name. This was something that was very traumatic to me. I was 21 years old. Once it was finally addressed I tried to put it behind me.’’

The first-time head coach said the issue never came up in the interview process with the Lions or at any time during his career.

“I started interviewing for jobs 22 years ago, in a time where one year after this incident happened where I interviewed, and these situations never came up, never asked. It was never an issue through the course of my career. The case was dismissed and I’m innocent,’’  said Patricia who spent the past 14 seasons with the New England Patriots.

Even though the charges were dismissed, it has now become an issue due to the Detroit News story which offered no update on the situation. The News reported: “The relevance of even old and untried charges raises questions for the Lions at the height of the ‘Me Too’ movement, which has brought new scrutiny to sexual misconduct allegations.’’

Patricia managed to keep his emotions intact through the press conference.

“I lived with the mental torture of a situation where facts can be completely ignored or misrepresented with disregard for the consequences and pain it would create for another person,’’ Patricia said in his statement.

“I find it unfair and upsetting that someone would bring this claim up over two decades later for the sole purpose of hurting my family, my friends and this organization with the intention of trying to damage my character and my credibility. I was innocent then and I’m innocent now,’’ he said.

Under Quinn — and even before he was hired — a player’s good character has been an important factor on whether they were drafted or signed by the Lions.

“I talked to the team today and told them exactly what I said to you guys, told them the truth,’’ Patricia said. “I also took this opportunity again to one more time focus on the fact that in this time we need to be sensitive and responsible. I used this as a learning moment with them so we can all try to be together.’’

 

ALLEN PARK >> If you are wondering whether Graham Glasgow will start at left guard or center for the Lions this fall, you are not alone.

Glasgow, who played both positions last season, does not know yet where he will line up. The Lions drafted Frank Ragnow in the first round. He was a center at Arkansas but also could move to guard.

“That’s up to Bob (Quinn) and that’s up to the coaches. I’m an interior offensive lineman. I’ll play left guard, I’ll play center, I’ll play whatever they ask me to,’’ Glasgow said at a press conference on Tuesday morning.

Five thoughts from Glasgow as the Lions’ offseason work continues:

1. After playing 16 games last season (and 15 his rookie season in 2016), he said it didn’t take his body long to recover. “I’m a younger guy, it doesn’t take me as long probably as if it was T.J. (Lang) who did it. After a couple weeks I was ready to go again. I was ready to get everything going,’’ said the 25-year-old Glasgow. Lang, the veteran right guard, is 30.

2. On new coach Matt Patricia: “He’s very straight forward. His goals are to win, to win every week. That’s something all of us can get behind.” Then Glasgow was asked whether Patricia has a sense of humor, he responded that they might have to soften him up.

3.  At the NFL draft, GM Bob Quinn specifically said he was frustrated by inability to convert on short-yardage situations last season. “I would say it’s right for him to be bothered by that, we were bothered by that. It was frustrating in a lot of ways for us. We were our own harshest critics and I think that is something we in a lot of ways took personally. We tried to get that worked out and I think that’s something we will also improve this year,’’ Glasgow said.

4. Glasgow said he doesn’t know much about first-round pick Frank Ragnow, but has heard he’s worker and expects he will fit in. Glasgow said the biggest transition for an NFL rookie is just how good the guys you line up against every week. “You’re not playing against Michigan State and Ohio State, or in his case Alabama and Auburn one week and playing against Vandy or Rutgers the next week. Every single D-linemen you’re going against is very good. They’re all professionals, everybody is getting paid money. Having consistency from week to week is hard as a young offensive lineman,’’ Glasgow said. “I knew that was something I had to get ironed out when I first got here and a lot of older guys helped me out with that.’’

5. On new offensive line coach Jeff Davidson: “I would say that Jeff seems like he’s a fantastic guy, he’s a very down-to-earth coach and I think he’s somebody that will help our position group get better and improve throughout the year,’’ Glasgow said. “Having somebody with a lot of personal experience can help me and younger guys in the locker get our technique down, a lot o questions he’ll be able to answer.” Davidson has 24 years of coaching experience, 15 of those working with offensive linemen.