Allen Park, Mich.— The Detroit Lions selected TE Sam LaPorta (34th overall), DB Brian Branch (45th overall), QB Hendon Hooker (68th overall) and DL Brodric Martin (96th overall) with their second and third-round picks of the 2023 NFL Draft.
2023 DETROIT LIONS NFL DRAFT QUOTE SHEETS
Newly selected Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs and Lions LB Jack Campbell held their introductory press conferences in Allen Park on Friday afternoon. Additionally, Executive Vice President and General Manager Brad Holmes was available to the media following the conclusion of Day 2 of the NFL Draft. LaPorta, Branch, Hooker and Martin were also available to the media via Zoom. The following are quote sheets with excerpts from their media sessions.
LIONS FIRST-ROUND DRAFT SELECTION (NO. 12 OVERALL) RUNNING BACK JAHMYR GIBBS INTRODUCTORY PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTE SHEET
April 28, 2023
On the feeling of being drafted and coming to the Detroit Lions: “It feels good, it feels really good to get it over with, being somewhere where I wanted to be. So yeah, it feels great.”
On being surprised that he was drafted 12th overall: “Yeah because usually running backs get picked higher in the Draft because of value stuff. Yeah, we don’t really usually get picked top 15 like that. When I got the call at 12, I was pretty shocked. It was cool though.”
On what he has learned throughout the Draft process: “Yeah, they have great people that work throughout the building. It’s a great city. I like how the offense runs. I can see myself making plays in the offense.”
On meeting former Lions running back Barry Sanders and what his versatility can bring to Detroit: “Yeah meeting (Former Lions RB) Barry (Sanders), it’s been a long-life dream of mine. He’s my favorite player, like ever, so I’ve been watching him for a while. Yeah, just meeting him was crazy, a historical moment for me. I’m always going to remember that. I’m just going to bring a lot, running the ball and returning kicks, catching the ball just feel like whatever spot they want me at I think I’ll excel, and just add more to the team to help us win more.”
On if he ever saw himself in this position: “Well, I’m pretty confident in my ability. I know what I can do. I knew that I would be in this – like at this stage. It was just a matter of time of when.”
On his relationship with Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban and conversations when he was drafted: “Me and (Alabama Football Head Coach Nick) Saban, we didn’t talk a whole lot, because you know he’s with the defense. Only time we saw him, like with the offense was at team meetings, and like sometimes throughout practice, we practice on different fields, offense and defense. When we did talk it was always a great conversation, it was always positive. Yeah, he’s helped me by how he runs the program, very detailed in what he does, very consistent. I would say– and time management he helped me with that too. All that being said, I think it was just helping me with this new step.”
On the reaction to his draft selection position and if he feels he needs to prove himself: “Yeah, I saw the reaction. It felt good knowing the organization had that much trust in me to pick me at number 12 where running backs don’t usually get picked. It meant a lot to me. It showed that I am valued, that they do care. Yeah, it felt good.”
On how his preparation and personal work ethic will blend with the Detroit Lions: “I’ve always been a hard worker. I would say everybody wants to win, if everybody just puts your head forward and focus on winning and getting the details right, you could do that.”
On how his upbringing prepared him for this moment: “I would say I wouldn’t change anything. I think everything happens for a reason. I’m thankful for my family over there, family back home, friends that are always supporting me throughout this whole process.”
On whom from his upbringing had the greatest impact on him: “Yeah, childhood, probably an earlier age my grandma, my aunt, my uncle. Then later on through life, them over there, my mom, my dad, my brothers; yeah, they’ve done a great job, they keep me on the right track not letting me get in trouble.”
On transferring from Georgia Tech to Alabama because of Alabama Running Backs Coach Robert Gillespie: “(Alabama Football RB Coach Robert Gillespie) Coach G, he recruited me out of high school when he was at (University of North Carolina) UNC. It was kind of an easy – I knew I wanted to go to Alabama once I knew he was there. He’s a great person too, he’s a great coach as well. I think it’s more important to be a better person. I think he’s a player’s coach, so he understands how we think and how we operate, me and him always had a great relationship. Yeah, he was cool.”
On when he started to dream of being in the NFL: “So, I started playing when I was about eight. I continued playing throughout my whole career, but I would say I wanted to go to the NFL probably, (age) 11, around that time. That’s pretty much it.”
On when the dream of being in the NFL seemed like it could be a reality: “Probably, junior high school, senior year. One of those two.”
On his expectations since being drafted: “It just lets me be me. I don’t have to pretend to be anybody. I can just go out there and be myself, just do what I do best.”
On how it felt to get a phone call from the Detroit Lions during the Draft: “Yeah, it was exciting, you feel a lot of relief from it too, knowing where you’re going to go, know where you’re going to live, know where you’re going to play at.”
On what he wants out of his NFL career: “I mean, I want to win. So, I’m just going to do all the work. I would say winning, everything comes like all the awards and all of that comes with winning. So, once you win all that will be taken care of.”
On how his style of play came to be: “I would say, backyard. When I was little, just playing, always wanted the ball. So, I would be running like go routes, deep posts and stuff. It just became pretty natural to me. Throughout high school I played receiver and running back, too.”
On who he modeled his style of play after: “(Saints RB) Alvin Kamara, (49ers RB) Christian McCaffrey, I like (Former Chiefs RB) Jamaal Charles, I used to watch (Former Colts RB) Marshal Faulk a lot, and obviously (Former Lions RB) Barry (Sanders).”
On if he is always this low-key: “Yeah, yeah, yeah.”On getting the opportunity to meet former Lions RB Barry Sanders and former Lions WR Calvin Johnson and if he asked any questions: “No, I was just soaking it all in, I was letting him talk. He was asking me when I started playing and who else I watched. Telling me about the city. Simple stuff, nothing too crazy.”
On how he views himself as a teammate and a person: “I think I’m a good teammate, I think I’m a genuine person. You pretty much won’t see me in no trouble. I’m pretty much just straightforward. I know what I want in life, and I try to do everything in my power not to mess that up.”
On if there was any surprise when the Lions called: “You could tell when you go to certain meetings like if that team likes you if that team doesn’t like you. I had a feeling they like me a lot. I knew there was a possibility I could be picked by them, but I didn’t think that I would get picked at 12.”
On his conversations with the Detroit Lions before the Draft: “I mean, at Alabama, I pretty much just played at running back, slot, wide out. I think here they will just give me a more detailed route tree, probably with some more routes.”
LIONS FIRST-ROUND DRAFT SELECTION (NO. 18 OVERALL) LB JACK CAMPBELL INTRODUCTORY PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTE SHEET
April 28, 2023
On being drafted to the Lions: “It’s fantastic. First and foremost, I just want to thank the Ford Family, (Lions Executive Vice President) Mr. (Brad) Holmes and (Lions Head) Coach (Dan) Campbell for giving me this opportunity to be a Detroit Lion. It’s been a childhood dream to be in the NFL, and I couldn’t be any happier to have the opportunity to represent Detroit and be a part of something special that I feel like – I’ve been here for a day, and I can already tell it’s truly unique and it’s something I feel the fans are definitely going to be excited about.”
On the euphoria he has felt the last 24 hours: “I would say, just the last 24 hours, I’ve just tried to spend with my family. I’ve tried to be intentional, honestly tried to stay off the phone, try to enjoy the moment. For me, I feel like that’s kind of who I am. I just want to enjoy these moments because I’ll never get to go back and be drafted again. So, just truly trying to enjoy everything. But it’s been crazy. As soon as I got that phone call from (Lions Executive Vice President) Mr. (Brad) Holmes, just an unbelievable feeling. I feel like every prospect’s going to come up here and say, ‘Words can’t describe how it feels,’ and they truly can’t. It’s such a blessing and an honor to be here, and I feel like the Good Lord’s put me here for a reason, and I’m just excited to get to work.”
On the root of him living in the moment and staying off of social media: “Honestly, I really don’t focus on – I’m not against using social media or anything, but for me, it’s just like – I don’t know, it’s just who I am. I just enjoy spending time with people and talking to people instead of spending time on my phone. But I do need to get better at social media. A lot of people have told me that and it usually doesn’t happen, so we’ll see.”
On if he was surprised with how high he was selected in the Draft: “I feel like, again, I’m just fortunate enough to be here. I wouldn’t be here if the guys up in that office didn’t believe in me. I’m honored to be picked where I’m picked. Obviously, I was going into the Draft again thinking, ‘God, you put me where You want me to be.’ He put me here. I’m going to take full advantage of it. I feel like I’m going to come in with an attitude, I’m not going to change who I am. I’m going to stay true to myself as Jack Campbell. What worked at Iowa is how I’m going to carry myself here. Our linebacker room at Iowa, just our mentality was just that mutt mentality, that mutt that all the little kids walk past because they wanted the new purebred puppies, and that’s how I’m going to carry myself here. I’m super excited to get to work with these linebackers in this room, all super good people. A lot have already reached out to me and congratulated me, so just the culture that they’ve built here I’m just super excited to join that room and just help uphold standards in that room and just get to experience this new journey with them and with (Lions Linebackers Coach Kelvin Sheppard) Coach Shep. I’m super excited to get to work with him. He’s a genuine human being and he’s going to get the best out of me on the field and off the field.”
On if he felt his meeting with the Lions pre-Draft went as well as the coaches said it did: “Honestly, I really couldn’t tell. I just went in there and tried to be who I am. Obviously, they gravitated toward that in that formal interview. It was a great interview. What they’re all about, I’m all about. That was just a genuine passion for the game of football and just getting to win, getting the opportunity to go out there and compete. I feel like that’s kind of the foundation that this program’s built on is just great individuals all working toward a common goal. That common goal is to go win a Super Bowl, and anything less than that is unacceptable. I’m just super excited again to step in here and get to work and just keep a humble approach to everything and just learn from the veterans, learn from the guys who have been through it, learn from the veteran coaching staff that’s around me. Obviously nowadays you’ve got a bunch of support staff, and just utilizing what resources I can. I’m just so proud to be a Lion. I never thought this day would come, so I’m just really trying to enjoy it.”
On how his leadership as a two-time captain at Iowa will help him in Detroit: “Yeah, so going back to Iowa, my position coach would always talk about, ‘Give people reasons to say ‘and’ about you, and not ‘but’ about you.’ So for me, I was just always working to be the football player that I wanted to be. I just stayed the course at the University of Iowa, and I feel like I earned respect from my teammates there. Again, I’m going to come in with a humble approach and just let my actions speak louder than words and then earn respect here and then just build relationships with my teammates, sit down, and talk to them, just get to know a little bit about them, get to know about what drives them, know where they’re from. Obviously, I’m 22 years old. Some of them are 30, have three kids, figuring out their family situations. Honestly, just be a genuine human being to people and I feel like that’s kind of what I’m going to continue to bring on a leadership side from the University of Iowa, so I’m excited for that.”
On majoring in enterprise leadership at Iowa and if there’s a correlation to football: “Enterprise leadership is just an entrepreneurial degree. Someday, I was kind of interested in maybe starting and running my own small business. For me, I’m just passionate about learning new things that directly apply to me and things that I’m passionate about. I would say my major might not have a correlation with football, but I feel like how I approach class and my workload, it’s the exact same as football. You show up every single day with a great attitude and great effort. There’s going to be hard days, there’s going to be good days, but never ride in those valleys and never ride in those peaks. Just stay steady, and I feel like that’s kind of how I’ve approached school but also football. I guess there’s some correlation there with school and football, but maybe not my degree.”
On what makes him a great fit in Detroit: “I’m a midwestern kid who I feel like, up to this point, has kind of earned everything that I’ve gotten. I feel like kind of an old-school, blue-collar mindset, and I feel like that’s maybe what they liked about me. I feel like that’s a perfect fit for Detroit. The people in this city, I feel like they work for everything they get, never complain, never point fingers, and I feel like that’s just who I am. I feel like I couldn’t be in a better city that represents that. Again, I’m just excited to get going with this.”
On how his demeanor changes on the field: “Football’s just something that I’ve been so passionate about. It’s opened a lot of opportunities and doors for me. As soon as I step on the field, I’m just trying to put my teammates in the best position they can be in, and I can be in, so whatever it takes to be as vocal as I’ve got to be, just having positive body language, always giving great effort – but those are non-negotiables at the linebacker position. As soon as I step foot on the field, nothing is more important than winning, nothing is more important than going out there and putting Jack Campbell’s best foot forward, and also putting the linebackers’ best foot forward and pushing that room and getting pushed by those guys. I feel like that’s what I would say about that.”
On if he knows what number he will wear: “Honestly, I’m not a huge – they’ll give me what I’m going to get. Those kind of how it’s kind of gone my whole entire life. So, I’m going to keep that rolling. Whether it’s 1 or 99 or anything in between, I’m just excited for the opportunity. Or I guess you’ve got 0 nowadays, too.”
On if he knows any of the former Iowa players that Detroit has taken in the first round in recent years: “I don’t have a personal relationship with all of them, but I feel like when you come from Iowa, everyone has that connection to Coach (Kirk) Ferentz and the whole staff there. So, as soon as you can get up and meet them, you feel like you’ve known them for a long time. Again, I’m excited to get to go out there and compete with those guys. They’ve done really, really well for themselves, especially in Detroit and where they’ve gone now. I’m just excited to kind of represent that pipeline and put Iowa’s best foot forward here in Detroit.”
On what he enjoys doing outside of football: “Outside of football, I would say that I like to go to church, hang out with friends and hunt. Like that’s it probably. Like, be outside, just stuff like that. My family knows the sacrifices that they’ve had to make. I’ve missed so many things, but it’s something that I enjoy, and they let me go out and chase it. Everyone sitting over there, they know that I haven’t been home much, but it’s all for what I love to do. I’m so thankful for all of them letting me do what I do and getting to be here today.”
On if he has any hunting stories: “A couple of weekends ago, me and my brothers went hunting. I’ve got two little brothers (and) we all had tags. I sat on one end of the field, they sat at the other end of the field. They decided to shoot three turkeys and use my tag, so I didn’t even get to shoot one.”
LIONS SECOND-ROUND DRAFT SELECTION (NO. 34 OVERALL) TIGHT END SAM LAPORTA DRAFT DAY 2 QUOTE SHEET (VIA ZOOM)
April 28, 2023
On joining the Detroit Lions offense that often utilizes the tight end position: “I’m fired up, it’s really a dream come true for me to just live out my dreams and hopes of playing at the highest level in the NFL. I started playing football when I was 10 years old. It’s just a surreal moment for me and my family. Coming into the building here in a few weeks, I’m going to show up, I’m just going to try to add as much value as I can, as quickly as I can. The Lions offense last year was extremely explosive as you just mentioned before. I just hope I can contribute to that.”
On joining former Iowa Hawkeyes teammate Lions LB Jack Campbell: “I’m so excited to be teammates with Jack again. I shot him a congratulations text last night and I kept getting asked in the Combine interview process, what teammate would I like to bring with me to my new team, and I just kept saying (Lions TE) Jack Campbell, Jack Campbell. I think the kid really speaks for himself, phenomenal football player, an even better human. I just can’t wait to be back in the building with him again.”
On his relationship with Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson and continuing the lineage of Iowa tight ends in the NFL: “It’s really cool to sort of be the next guy. I showed up as a freshman and I was just hoping I could sneak on to the field, and four years later I leave the University of Iowa and I feel like I’m right up there with the names like (Vikings TE) T.J. Hockenson, and (Former NFL TE) Dallas Clark, and (Seahawks TE) Noah Fant. That’s something I’m really proud of. I’m looking forward. I’m definitely going to have to lean on the leadership of guys like (Vikings TE) T.J. (Hockenson), and also the guys in the building and in the tight end room with the Lions. I look forward to that.”
On his conversations with the Lions prior to the Draft and if he had any idea that this was a possibility: “I did. I met with the Lions at the Combine. I had a formal interview with them. It was great. They taught me a play real quick and I put it right back up for them on the whiteboard. I thought I wrote it up really well, too. I had a great interview process with them, and I’m fired up.”
On the value of experienced coaching in the Lions organization: “A ton, the standard is certainly, it’s set, and I’m walking into the building with like you said (Lions Head) Coach (Dan) Campbell, 10 years in the League. The coach knows how to win and his standards and expectations are going to be really high, and that’s something I look forward to. Always chasing those expectations and those standards, never reaching them and then pushing them higher every year again and again.”
On where he is right now: “Highland, Illinois. I’m at this little venue in town called the Olde Wicks Factory and I got a bunch of family and friends from my area and coaches that coached me growing up playing pee-wee ball. A whole bunch of people out here supporting me tonight., couldn’t do it without them.—Kind of in this separate room, the ceilings like unfinished, but I’m in this beautiful space right here, and there’s about a hundred people in the room next to me.”
On what he thinks he could add to a team and Iowa Head Coach Kirk Ferentz saying a smart team may move up to draft him: “Yeah, I mean Coach (Iowa Head Coach Kirk) Ferentz definitely sets a standard, as a mentioned before with Coach (Lions Head Coach Dan) Campbell, coming as a freshman and knowing that Iowa’s standard is what it is and you’re going to adapt or you’re maybe not going to do so well. I feel really great to hear that (Iowa Head Coach Kirk) Ferentz thinks so highly of me and (Lions LB) Jack (Campbell) both, I just really appreciate all those fine words.”
On his feelings over the last two days and who he has surrounded himself with: “Surrounded myself with family, they mean the world to me. They support me through thick and thin, whether I had never picked up a football in my life or where I am now. The last couple days I’ve been at home, in my hometown. I watched the Draft last night. Yeah, it’s just great, dream come true for me.”
On first impressions of Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell and meeting him at the NFL Combine: “He’s definitely authentic. You love a straight shooter. He’s never going to lie to your face, he’s always going to tell you how it is and you can always appreciate that type of person. Can’t wait to work with him, I know he’s going to set great expectations for me. You know he played 10 years in the League. I can certainly learn from his journey, his experience and hopefully take as much from him as possible.”
LIONS SECOND-ROUND DRAFT SELECTION (NO. 45 OVERALL) DEFENSIVE BACK BRIAN BRANCH DRAFT DAY 2 QUOTE SHEET (VIA ZOOM)
April 28, 2023
On his conversations with the Lions before the Draft: “I took a Top-30 visit with them, I talked to (Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell) D.C., I talked to the head coach, (Lions Cornerbacks) Coach Dre Bly, just everybody, and they were just telling me like, they really like me and they like what I do. They like what I bring to the table and how versatile I am. Just pretty much talking about how I can improve myself. Pretty much, the things they would want from me if I came there.”
On the value of having the opportunity to learn from Lions Defensive Back C.J. Gardner-Johnson: “He can be a lot, he can add value to me. Like you said, being a rookie coming into this League, I can learn from him. He did this and he’s one of the greats to do it and just being able to play along with him, that means a lot to me. I take it as a bit of an advantage, just have him next to me and be able to learn from him.”
On staying at the Draft for Day Two and the importance of walking across the stage: “It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, walk on the stage, shake the Commissioner’s hand, see the fans and how they react. I’m blessed to just be able to do that.”
On his pride on being versatile on the field: “I value it a lot and I work at it, all phases of the game. I do it, I’m trying to get on the field any way I can get on the field, whether it be corner, safety, nickel, just anywhere they want me. That helps me a lot.”
On what it meant for him to experience the on-site Draft experience: “It was tough, just sitting in a room thinking about Day One, watching the joy. But, I’m happy to be a Lion and that’s the main thing right now. I can’t wait to keep going, so I’m blessed to be where I’m at right now.”
On how playing for Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban has prepared him for playing in the NFL: “It’s prepared me a lot. I have a bit of advantage I feel like, just because of the system that I was in. I was almost in a pro-style system, and (Alabama Head) Coach (Nick) Saban has taught me a lot of things. I’m just happy that he was my coach and I’m just ready to apply it at the next level.”
On what he can contribute on special teams if there are no immediate defensive opportunities: “I feel like I contribute to all phases of special teams whether, it be kickoff, kick return, punt, punt return. I feel like I played them all in college and I’m used to it. If it requires me to get on the field, then I’m going to do it.”
On what fans should expect from Alabama teammate and newly-selected Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs: “(Lions RB Jahmyr) Gibbs is a generational talent, (Saints RB) Alvin Kamara 2.0. He does a lot of things that are unteachable and un-guardable. I feel like his running style is – nobody I’ve ever seen. He can get in and out of holes, cut easily. Him being able to be a receiver I feel like sets him apart, and the sky is the limit for Jahmyr.”
On his on-field personality: “I feel like I’m more reserved. I talk—not really – just I feel like I watch everything and, yeah, that’s more my style of play. I don’t really talk like that.”
On what makes him a Dan Campbell type of player: “I feel like I have all the intangibles that (Lions Head) Coach Dan wants. That dog mentality, that’s what I got, and nobody else can take that from me and that’s I think what he means.”
LIONS THIRD-ROUND DRAFT SELECTION (NO. 68 OVERALL) QB HENDON HOOKER INTRODUCTORY PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTE SHEET (VIA ZOOM)
April 28, 2023
On how his knee rehabilitation is going and when he hopes to get back to football activity: “So, recently just started running and doing the AlterG, which is low gravity. It’s no gravity, just hitting on what you’re comfortable with. I haven’t had any pain in my knee for a while in this process. Getting back on the field and being able to drop and move around, it feels great. It’s a blessing just to take it day by day.”
On how he hopes to learn from Lions QB Jared Goff: “To be a sponge, to come in and learn everything, every nuance, know how to be a pro first and foremost. And then, just admire him. He’s been in the League for a long time and he’s done a great job of developing every year. He’s been able to get better and better, and that’s all you can ask for. I’m definitely going to be picking his brain whenever I can. I hope I don’t get annoying to him, but I’m just that kind of person. I just want to get in and do my job and just continue to get better day by day.”
On what he thought would be the most difficult jump to the next level throughout the pre-Draft process: “Of course, getting my leg healed first and foremost, and then just being able to just adjust to the speed of the game. There are guys at every position. There’s a guy at safety, there are going to be guys at corner, there are going to be guys at every position that make a ton of plays. So, just getting adjusted to the speed of the game and getting back to playing football. There are a lot of guys that play a lot of football from either the Senior Bowl or just being able to be in the flow of things, so just getting back into the flow of things is something I’m excited to get back into. But I think that’s going to be the biggest adjustment, just the speed of the game and how fast things move. I’m excited.”
On meeting Lions coaches at the Senior Bowl: “Yeah, it’s a blessing. Through my dad and through the game of football, it’s amazing how many connections and such a small world once you get into this football world. The further you go, it gets smaller. It’s a blessing to be around a lot of guys that I know and also a lot of guys in the building that are like family to me. I’m excited just to get there and work. I’m really at a loss for words right now. It’s very surreal for me. It’s a blessing for me. You talk about such a great organization and the lineage and history that it’s had. It’s amazing.”
On his Top 30 visit with the Lions and if he thought he was in consideration to be drafted by Detroit: “I enjoyed it. Getting in there and getting the install the night before we met on my visit, then having an incredible visit with everyone and just enjoying myself, having fun, going out there, and working on a little bit of footwork. It’s an amazing process just to become a great football mind. They did a great job of giving me the rundown and emphasis of things. Then, I met with (Lions CB) Emmanuel Moseley on the backend of my visit and we went out to eat. I just asked him about his knee process as well. He was going through the same thing.”
On when he expects to be back to full health: “Yeah, I’m taking it day by day, continuing to control what I can control and keep a great attitude and work. That’s all I can do. While I was on my visits, I’m working in the hotel room continuing to keep my upper body and lower body in some type of shape. When I came back home everyone was like, ‘Man, you’re looking really big.’ Because I was just doing a lot of push-ups, a lot of sit-ups, a lot of crunches. Then, I have BFR, my blood flow circulation being restricted during the BFR then trying to build my leg that way. So, it’s been a grind and just take it day by day. Whenever I’m ready to rock and roll, that’s going to be a sight to see.”
On his father’s relationship with Lions Executive Vice President and General Manager Brad Holmes: “Him and my dad go back many years, many years. They’ve been friends and had a relationship. It’s cool. When he called me, he said, ‘It’s cool to call a Greensboro number.’ We had a good laugh about that. Awesome guy, and we had a great conversation on my visit. It’s always cool to have someone around you with some sort of connection.”
On how important leadership is to him on the field: “Leadership is very important to me. I think that me being a servant leader and genuinely enjoying people succeeding, I enjoy seeing people succeed in any way that I can help them on their journey and vice versa. I’m always going to be there for questions or assistance. That’s something that my teammates, my previous teammates, know about me that I’m going to be a good friend and a good teammate no matter what’s going on. Leadership, it starts at the quarterback position. However, my role and leadership position on the Lions goes, I just want to come in and soak up how to be a pro and how things are ordered, so that when my number’s called and I am in a leadership position, I’ll be prepared for it.”
LIONS THIRD-ROUND DRAFT SELECTION (NO. 96 OVERALL) DEFENSIVE LINEMAN BRODRIC MARTIN DRAFT DAY 2 QUOTE SHEET (VIA ZOOM)
April 28, 2022
On if he was surprised to be selected on Day Two: “First of all, I just want to thank God, man. None of this right here would be even possible if it wasn’t for Him. I’m not going to say I’m surprised, because I feel like my talents show up like – it’s a blessing man. I’m glad to be a part of this organization. It’s a blessing, that’s all I can say. I’m not surprised but I’m blessed.”
On his conversations with the Lions before the Draft: “Yes, I had a Top-30 visit with them. It was my second-to-last one. They called me when I was up on another Top-30 visit, matter of fact, and they told me they wanted to see me at the end of the week. I hopped on the first available plane there.”
On what visit he was on when the Lions called: “I was with the Chargers at that time.”
On his interactions with Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell and the Lions’ coaching staff: “Talking to (Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell) him man, first of all, he’s kind of tall. He’s a real tall head. It was really good to talk to him, he’s a good person, man. When he was talking to me, he was telling me – of course he did his background check on me, and it told him what I got. What I bring to the table is something that this organization is high on. I’ve been through a lot. I started at North Alabama, went to Western Kentucky and he’s seen how I fight, and he said that’s the Lion pride basically. That’s what they do, they want someone to come in fighting and all that. So, just talking with them, he gave me a sense of confidence, you know? I love talking to him I talked to (Defensive Line Coach John Scott Jr. and Assistant Defensive Line Coach Cameron Davis) the D-Line coaches, they were the type of coaches I want to be coached by. Honestly, just talking to them — he was talking about my family, talking about what I can do for the team. It was a good experience there.”
On his struggle and journey through his life and career: “Out of high school, I went to North Alabama. I got red-shirted there, and I played three seasons there, then I transferred over to Western Kentucky and coming in, I had a lot to learn. I had to be patient. When I first came in, I wasn’t no starter, nothing like that. Then in the middle of that season, my brother passed away. So, it was just that fight man, coming from where I came from, not a lot of draft picks out of there and stuff. I’m just blessed to be in this situation.”
On his techniques on the defensive line and his favorite positions on the field: “Well, my favorite spot is just anywhere over the center. It doesn’t matter if it’s one, zero, anywhere over the center is where I like to be. It’s where I’ve done the most, it’s what I like, and where I’ve done the most. I’ve played three-tech, I’ve played four-I, just anywhere. I’m a defensive lineman, not just a nose guard. I’m a defensive tackle, I’m a defensive lineman. I’ve been everywhere.”
On the tragedy with his brother and the effects it’s had on him: “His name was Brandon Martin. He had Leukemia. He passed away with Leukemia on Oct. 14, 2021. It was like, probably, the father figure I never had. To be honest, I wasn’t real close with my father. Him, he was my protector, he was my person I go to. He was my right-hand man, and you know it was his time (when) he got called up. He’s my everything, he’s my motivation.”
LIONS EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER BRAD HOLMES DRAFT DAY 2 PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTE SHEET
Opening Statement: “Once again, we’re just always going to take the best football players, same as it was night one, we do the same thing again, second night. Who is the best guy for us, highest rated guy? That’s what we’re doing and it’s been working so far. I know they are kind of mad at me yesterday, so. I looked at the mock drafts to make sure they’re aligned, all that stuff.”
On if there is something about football programs like Alabama and Iowa that makes him feel better about drafting players from those programs: “Yeah, that’s a good question. I would say this. There is a theme in like, ‘An Iowa player.’ You’ve probably heard of a Wisconsin offensive lineman. You’ve heard those. Credit to those programs. They just do a good job. Coach (Kirk) Ferentz, you kind of know like I was saying about Coach (Nick) Saban. You just kind of know what kind of player you’re getting. But at the end of the day, yeah, they’re good football players, but they’re just the right human beings. Coming from an established program like Iowa, like Alabama, we don’t do that intentionally. They just happened to produce some really good football players, historically they have. They’ve had success in the NFL and usually because of the head coaches and their background in terms of the NFL and pro-style. You kind of know that you’re getting probably a kid that’s got a little bit of a higher floor coming in.”
On how comfortable he feels selecting Lions third-round draft selection (68th overall) QB Hendon Hooker: “Hendon, very, very talented player. I first saw Hendon when they played Florida. I believe that was in Knoxville, Tenn. They run a very fast-tempo offense. Now, you guys have all heard that. You guys have all heard, ‘Oh, spread offense, fast, they go high-tempo, all that stuff.’ The way he was running it, there were things that I saw in that live game that you can’t see on tape. It was his urgency and his tempo throughout the game. He was actually, he was playing very, very urgent. He was playing violent in the run game. He was playing violent in that passing game. I just kind of like the nature of the way he was playing. And there were little things that kind of stood out to me in terms of, you know, he’d score a touchdown, and instead of him being on the bench with the headset on, or talking to the coach in the box, he’s standing on the sideline waiting to congratulate his extra-point team. So, it’s little things like that, that show what kind of person he (is). Regardless of background and all that, he’s just a good football player and if he wasn’t, then we wouldn’t have acquired him. He’s a good person. He’s smart. He’s very talented. He’s had a unique journey. He’s overcome. He just has to get healthy. I believe that we have the right situation for him, where he can just sit back, develop, get healthy. But we’re excited about his upside.”
On if seeing Lions QB Hendon Hooker run an up-tempo offense live and in-person gave him confidence in his abilities: “Regardless of what offense he was running, it was just the way that he was playing. It was just how fast he was playing, how aggressive he was playing, how aggressive he was in the passing, how aggressive he was as a runner – the way that he was finishing plays in both phases. And you know, obviously, he has all the physical traits with size, athletic ability, throwing and all that stuff. That’s only a fraction of it in terms of the physical traits. He’s got the intangible qualities for the position. We did a lot of work, and we did a lot of research about what they were asking him to do, and what they were asking him. It’s a different offense and it’s a lot different than what is being run in the NFL when it comes to splits and all that. That was a real, big deep dive that we did for a long time starting way back when from during the season. We felt comfortable with it, and we spoke with all his coaches and all that. Brought him and that’s why we went ahead and pulled the trigger on him.”
On how much viewing Lions QB Hendon Hooker at a game in-person tipped the scales for him: “Yeah, I would say that’s fair because again, the only question was kind of what were they asking him to do. So, being able to kind of spend time with him, and kind of talk us through it, so it was good to have that cleared up. But really, it was just the human being and just getting to know him and making sure that he was the right fit. All the research that we’ve done, we were already convicted about that, but seeing it firsthand was easy to put it over the top.”
On how NFL-ready Lions QB Hendon Hooker is: “Obviously, he’ll be a rookie. He’s going to have to transition into playing in a different type of scheme. We’re really excited about his upside. How NFL-ready are a lot of quarterbacks that you acquire, and that’s just part of the normal development process. And again, it’s just a testament of I think we have the right situation for him just to come and sit back, see how (Lions QB) Jared (Goff) and (Lions QB) Nate (Sudfeld) do things, and just develop.”
On if Lions second-round draft selection (45th overall) DB Brian Branch was attractive because of his position versatility: “Yeah, it was, but really what stood out about Brian was really just if you want to like – if you just had football players – there’s “football player” in caps, and just black and white, that’s what he is, just the way that he plays the game, whether he is playing nickel. That’s what he played the majority of his career there (Alabama). He’s been more of a nickel than a safety, but his nickel stuff is really good. He’s one of the better tacklers that I saw on film this year from a defensive standpoint, especially for a DB. He just plays the game how we play it and like the style of how we want to play. He’s very instinctive. He’s very physical. He’s one of the better tacklers. He’s very athletic. The guy can bend, change directions. He’s got good size. He was another one that when he came in on his visit, just kind of looking him in his eye and you can just feel him. You can just feel that he wants to be great. That put it over the top for me. I didn’t think that he was going to be there, but we were jacked that he was.”
On how well he knows newly selected Lions QB Hendon Hooker’s father Alan as a fellow North Carolina A&T alum: “Yeah, his dad, obviously he was an alumni. I was playing football then, so we didn’t have a close relationship. But he would be around the program quite a bit. He was very, very supportive. I would kind of see him in the barbershop every now and then. That was back when I had hair obviously. But yeah, his dad was – he’s a Hall of Famer at my alma mater. It’s really cool to have that connection. But again, that’s not the reason why we acquired him, but it is cool. It may give him a little bit of comfort. We chatted a little bit about it on the visit. But he comes from a really good family. He comes from a really good family, and Alan’s a good guy.”
On when Lions QB Hendon Hooker may be able to practice: “Yeah, you don’t put a timetable on it. Again, the same thing we talked about with (Lions WR Jameson Williams) Jamo, you kind of just let it play itself out. We’re very, very happy with what the medicals were. When we went over it with our medical staff in our meetings, that made us feel even more confident about where he’s at, and we’ll just see how it goes. But we feel really confident about it.”
On how much value he places on drafting quarterbacks to prepare for any scenario: “Yeah, I definitely think there’s definitely value. There’s definitely merit in just taking one. But you’ve got to be in position to do it. You guys know when (Lions Head Coach) Dan (Campbell) and I got here, we started from the studs, man. We started from the ground up. So, the fact that (Lions QB) Jared (Goff) has been playing as well as he has, we just really – we’ve had so many things to address, and I put that on me, but we just really haven’t been in the best position to address that backup quarterback position as much as I would’ve liked it. Trust me, it wasn’t anything that was ignored, but we just had a lot of other areas that we needed to address. I finally feel like we’re at a point in the roster where we were able to make a move like this. It feels good to be able to be there.”
On what he likes about newly selected Lions DL Brodric Martin: “Yeah, Brodric, he was a – let’s call him under the radar, a non-Combine guy and showed up at the East-West Shrine All-Star game and did a really, really nice job. That’s really when he popped up on my radar. Our area scouts already did him. (Lions Area Scout) Steve Neal does a great job. Steve kind of brought him to light, looked at the All-Star stuff and then that’s what made me dive deeper into his film. You see him playing in some better competition games like Auburn and then you see him kind of late, and he just has a lot of physical traits that gets you really excited about his upside. I’m not sure like his testing numbers and all that stuff. This guy’s a big man, but he moves a lot better on film. He had a really good Pro Day. His workout was good. It’s hard to find big, athletic, big guys like that. He just has, like we said, a lot of meat on the bones. He’s got a lot of upside. He’s a big man, he’s athletic, he plays hard, he chases to the ball. I don’t think I’ve seen many 330, 340-pound guys run to the ball like he does. So, when you get that – he’s got some rawness, but we’re really excited about his upside. He’s another one that we brought him for a visit, and he just kind of lit the room up just with his personality and just his mindset. He’s a really good kid that has a pretty unique story. We’re just really, really excited. I think that (Lions Defensive Line) Coach John Scott is going to do some really nice things with him.”
On whether the Lions had their eye on newly-selected Lions QB Hendon Hooker while making Draft trades in the third round: “Yeah, I mean I didn’t know how long, you know, you’re kind of just reading how the picks are falling. So, we just kind of made a couple of moves, and the more it kind of fell in our favor, we felt pretty comfortable that we would be in a good position to acquire Hendon. Yeah, he was a guy that, obviously, he was in consideration just like a little bit earlier, but we kind of wanted to get some more capital to do some other things. So, we were in a position – it doesn’t always work out that way. You’re kind of just holding your breath a little bit, but luckily it worked out.”
On if his comfort in his third year as a general manager helped him make trades and make decisions on the clock: “Yeah, it’s a good question. I felt a lot more comfortable doing that this year. Obviously, we made a couple of trades last year, but this year kind of – especially when you’re getting into Day Two and being able to maneuver around, you just learn as you go and as you get more experience. You get more comfortable at it in terms of just kind of reading it and feeling it and making calls. I have a great staff, too. I mean, I have a great staff that really just does a great job just kind of working the phones with (Lions Chief Operating Officer Mike) Disner, (Lions Senior Director, Football Administration Brandon) Sosna and (Lions Senior Personnel Executive John) Dorsey and those guys. They keep the lines going when we want to make some movement. I’m always calling other GM’s and so we stay pretty busy on there because you just never know how it’s going to fall. A guy may be interested in moving, he may not, he may be waiting for his guy to be there, his guy might be taken right before – so you’ve just got to be aware. Not only myself being more comfortable, but I give a lot of credit to my staff as well.”
On if his staff is working the phones well in advance of being on the clock: “It’s case-by-case. Sometimes, it’s like two picks away. When we were trying to trade back in to get with (Lions DL) Brodric (Martin), we probably started much earlier than – we did start much earlier than we ended up getting him. We just kind of had to be comfortable with the capital that we were going to give up. But yeah, I mean I want to say with Brodric, we probably started making calls kind of in the 70s (and with) teams kind of a little bit lower, 10 picks away and all that just to see if they were even interested because it would be a little bit of a dropback to go back to 122.”
On what about newly-selected Lions TE Sam LaPorta set him apart from the other tight ends: “Yeah, LaPorta, really athletic guy. He can play a lot of different positions, he can align in a lot of different spots. He can do it in-line. I really like his urgency and willingness in the run game. For the most part, he’s active with his hands, and he’s not the biggest guy. He’s not a 6’5’’, 250-pound guy, but he plays a lot bigger in-line than what you think. What really stands out is when he detaches from the core and the work that he can do on the perimeter, and he can beat a DB and he can catch contested and he can win a slant. He’s got very good ball skills. I know that there’s some stats on drops and all that stuff, but I’m not concerned about his hands. He’s got really impressive ball skills – he’s just a really good athlete. He can bend, he can change directions, and again, I just like the way he plays football, man. He’s just got a gritty feel about him. Although he’s athletic and he can do all that stuff in the pass game and he can be a mismatch and all that stuff, but he still has a gritty finishing style, especially with the ball in his hands. He’s got run-after-the-catch (ability), so I think he’s going to be a guy that’s going to be a good addition. He’s going to be able to do a lot of good things. But this was a good tight end class, it really was this year. But he just really stood out to me among the others, so we were happy to get him.”
On if the Titans trading up to select QB Will Levis at No. 33 impacted Detroit’s Draft strategy: “No.” |
