ALLEN PARK — Terrion Arnold, the Detroit Lions first-round draft pick, says his competitive nature was something he learned from his mom.
“I used to fight, just wrestling with her, playing around. I‘ll never forget that one time my mom kicked my tooth out because we were going at it so hard,’’ Arnold said after the opening day of Lions rookie minicamp on Friday.
“If my mom was out here right now and she lined up across from me as a receiver I would jam her into the dirt. My mom knows that right now, I just mean it football wise that’s the way I think , the way I was brought up,’’ the cornerback explained.
When he donned his uniform — featuring the number 0 — for the first time Friday morning, he sent a photo to his mom and family.
“And they were like, ‘You finally made it, now it’s time to get to work.’ So that’s just the structure and the way I was brought up,’’ Arnold said. “I made a name for myself in college (at Alabama), now it’s time to go out here. Coming here, coming to win, win the Super Bowl that’s the goal.’’
His mom sent him a devotional Friday morning telling him: “Son, you’re here for a reason, for such a time as this, go out and make it count.’’
Arnold said he also got his smile from his mom and he was flashing it after practice, interrupting cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr.’s press conference with a few questions of his own. Rakestraw returned the favor. They seem like close buddies already and the vibe seemed genuine.
“Those two are going to compete. I’m sure Rakestraw thinks he’s better and Terrion thinks he’s better. So they’re going to compete, which is a great thing for us, we want competitiveness,’’ Lions assistant GM Ray Agnew said on Friday. “We don’t want guys that bow down, we want guys to compete and think they’re going to win the spot. I think both of those guys feel like they’re starters but they’ve got their work cut out for them.’’
While they look forward to learning from and competing with veterans, it was all smiles on Friday.
“Coming in here, being the young guys, the dynamic is we’re going to be here for a long time,’’ Arnold said. “We’re going to grow together, we’re going to excel together, take our losses together, take them on the chest. I just thank the organization for drafting both of us, that’s my brother right here.’’
Both agreed it was a dream come true to officially be an NFL player by slipping on the practice uniform..
Rakestraw, a second-round pick who will wear No 15, also credited his mom for helping him get this far.
“My mom had me three days after being 16, we had a real strong bond. I’m here today all thanks to her 100 percent, not me,’’ said Rakestraw who played at Missouri.
Rookie minicamp will wrap up on Sunday, Mother’s Day. Arnold and Rakestraw’s moms won’t see their sons that day, but they will have much to celebrate.