INDIANAPOLIS — As Barry Sanders’ backup the first four seasons of his NFL career, Ron Rivers always admired how effortlessly his Hall of Fame teammate set up opposing defenders. Sanders had an uncanny ability to spin out of, cut back on or jitterbug his way through defenses, and while much of it was an innate
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INDIANAPOLIS — Before Ikem Ekwonu was one of the best offensive linemen in college football, he had a short-lived career in musical theatre. Ekwonu said at Thursday’s NFL combine he appeared in several productions as a fifth grader growing up in Charlotte, NC. He was a background character in “The Jungle Book.” He played an alley
Indianapolis — Kenneth Walker III wasn’t shy about setting goals a year ago. A two-year backup running back at Wake Forest, the transfer junior at Michigan State wrote down three things: Heisman Trophy, Doak Walker Award, All-American. Less than 12 months later, he’d crossed two of those off his to-do list. The third was out
Indianapolis — While he certainly wasn’t the first Central Michigan player selected in the NFL Draft, Joe Staley still managed to blaze a trail as the first first-round pick in school history. Now, 15 years later, he’s offering a helping hand to a pair of Chippewa prospects closely following in his footsteps. A high school standout
INDIANAPOLIS — Luke Goedeke had designs on being an NFL tight end when he reported for his first day of football practice at Central Michigan in 2018, even if his coaches secretly saw his future at a different position. A transfer from Division III Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Goedeke showed up to the equipment room and was
INDIANAPOLIS — Treylon Burks has some of the best hands of any receiver in this year’s NFL draft, and he developed them in the most unique of ways. Burks said at the NFL combine Wednesday that he spent his days as a youth hunting feral hogs with his bare hands in rural Arkansas. “You have
INDIANAPOLIS — It’s the hardest position to find in sports, and the later NFL teams wait to address it in the draft, the more difficult it becomes. But Eric DeCosta has helped the Baltimore Ravens buck the trend of busted quarterback draft picks multiple times in his two-plus decades in that franchise’s personnel department. DeCosta
INDIANAPOLIS — Skyy Moore grew up in Pittsburgh, where he played high school football with Steelers coach Mike Tomlin’s son, Dino. And if the Western Michigan football receiver is being honest, returning to his hometown and playing for his good friend’s father would make for a pretty cool start to his NFL career. “It’s a
Indianapolis — Detroit Lions secondary coach and passing-game coordinator Aubrey Pleasant was a finalist for two defensive coordinator jobs this offseason. And even though newly hired Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell passed up a chance to hire Pleasant, in favor of the more experienced Ed Donatell, O’Connell sees a bright coaching future for his former colleague.
Indianapolis — The Detroit Lions aren’t hiding the fact they’re in the market for an outside receiver, a go-to option capable of consistently winning one-on-one, who can be counted on in those gotta-have-it situations on third down and in the red zone. For the better part of the decade, Detroit had the league’s premier go-to guy
INDIANAPOLIS — One of the best prospects in this year’s NFL draft said Wednesday he models his game after one former Detroit Lions wide receiver and considers another current Lions pass catcher “a big brother.” USC’s Drake London said he has tried to emulate Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson in his rise to stardom and soon will be
Indianapolis — Kaleb Eleby won’t be the first quarterback drafted this year. He’s not going to be selected in the first round and is a longshot to hear his name called on Day 2. Still, the Western Michigan product has an intriguing enough skill set to be selected at some point next month, with some analysts
This is the 10th installment of a multi-part series previewing the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine. The event will be broadcast over four days on the NFL Network, Thursday, March 3 through Sunday, March 6. Today, we’ll look at the cornerbacks. Lions’ pre-free agency needs How Detroit addresses cornerback will be one of the more intriguing roster
INDIANAPOLIS — Ben Johnson was besieged by congratulatory messages from friends, players, and colleagues after he was named Detroit Lions offensive coordinator in February, but one text in particular caught him by surprise. “It was Matthew Stafford,” Johnson said Tuesday. “It was the week before the Super Bowl, he’s preparing for the biggest game in his
Associated Press Indianapolis — All the Buffalo Bills wanted in January was one more chance to beat Kansas City. Now they’re trying to make sure no NFL team begins the offseason as it did. On Tuesday, more than a month after enduring a crushing AFC divisional round loss without ever touching the ball in overtime,
INDIANAPOLIS — Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes held 15-minute media sessions with reporters at the NFL scouting combine Tuesday, and touched on a variety of topics related to free agency, the 2022 season and April’s NFL draft. Hutchinson or Thibodeaux The Lions have the second pick in the draft and are
Indianapolis — Brad Holmes has been here before. More times than he can count, really. Fifteen, maybe? Sixteen? It’s hard to say anymore. But this is the first time he has made the drive south from Detroit to the NFL Scouting Combine. And this is the first time he’s here as a general manager, because
Indianapolis — The Detroit Lions have a pending — some would say obvious — decision regarding Trey Flowers’ future with the franchise. But the team’s leadership isn’t ready to commit, at least not publicly, on which way they’re leaning with the veteran linebacker and team captain. “We’ll keep open dialogue with Trey and his camp and I think that’s the
INDIANAPOLIS — Jeff Okudah has had a rough start to his pro career, missing time with a groin injury as a rookie and rupturing his Achilles tendon last year, but the Detroit Lions remain hopeful Okudah will be a top-tier NFL cornerback. Lions coach Dan Campbell said Tuesday at the NFL combine the team has
Indianapolis — Coaching the Senior Bowl slightly altered the Detroit Lions’ postseason schedule. It wasn’t until after that late January event the coaching staff could fully throw themselves into a thorough evaluation of the previous season. Entering the 2021 campaign, Ben Johnson had a far smaller scope of responsibility as the team’s tight end coach. But after a