Why Aidan Hutchinson Is 'Perfect Fit' for Lions' Scheme
Aidan Hutchinson felt a sense of relief when his phone rang, seeing a Detroit area code on the caller ID screen.
After holding the projected top pick status for a majority of the pre-draft process, Hutchinson watched as Jacksonville selected Georgia defensive end Travon Walker with the first choice in the 2022 NFL Draft.
This left Hutchinson, a graduate of Divine Child High School in Dearborn and a four-year player at Michigan, available to be taken by general manager Brad Holmes and the Detroit Lions.
They did just that, as Hutchinson answered his phone and was informed that he will begin his career with his hometown team.
“I was just praying the Lions were gonna take me,” Hutchinson said. “It’s a little bit scary when you get in that green room, and the Lions are on the clock and you’re just sitting there. I’m like, ‘Dear God, just please pick me.’”
Though the hometown connection is nice, the Michigander is no slouch. In his final season with the Wolverines, the 6-foot-7 defender notched a school-record 14 sacks. His evasive nature allowed him to beat overmatched defensive tackles and punish quarterbacks.
Now, he hopes to do so at the next level with the Lions. Hutchinson will be suiting up for Lions head coach Dan Campbell, and the two share a level of tenacity that radiated during his introductory press conference.
“I think the play style is just relentless,” Hutchinson remarked. “It’s nasty, and I think that’s what the whole coaching staff has brought here. I think I come in, I bring that same mentality. I think that’s why I’m a perfect fit for this scheme and that Detroit grit. So, I think I fit that mold.”
Aside from Campbell, the Lions' coaching staff is made up of a plethora of former players who have made it a mission to get the most out of its players. Upon taking his visit to the Lions, Hutchinson was impressed by the communication and collaboration within the building.
“I think there’s a lot of special guys, and a lot of guys who, in just talking with ‘em, I know that the communication is just so open,” Hutchinson said. “I think that’s critical to having success on a football team is to have that player-coach relationship, where you can talk to one another and figure stuff out through communicating. Out of all my visits, the Lions was one of my most seamless ones, just because of how smooth it was and how it was so easy to talk football and just communicate with all these coaches.”
Kirthmon F. Dozier, USA TODAY NETWORK
Motivated to succeed long before being drafted Thursday, Hutchinson had spent time during his youth jotting down goals he had for himself. His draft suit was inscribed with several of his youthful manifestations that were on the verge of coming to life.
Even so, he stated Friday that the enormity of the moment was still just beginning to set in.
“I think it’s gonna be a couple days,” Hutchinson said. “I was just walking around the building today, with my family, and it’s just weird because growing up, I was a Michigan guy, I’m around Detroit sports so much. And, to think that I’m a Lion is just, it seems like a wild dream to me. But, now it’s kind of come true. So, it’s wild, but I’m soaking it all in.”
Hutchinson will have an easier transition to the pros than most, as his family will be nearby. Having been born and raised in Plymouth, home will never be too far away. He joked that he may begin his career by living in his parents’ basement.
Though growing up near the Lions, he wasn’t treated to many happy memories watching his home team on Sunday afternoons. Now, he’s focused on helping them become a winner.
“I'm just gonna come in here and do everything that I can,” Hutchinson said. “I'm not going to be too focused on the outcome or focused on anything like that. I’m gonna be focused on the process and focused on the everyday grind and just getting better as a player to help the team.”
The freshly minted first-rounder also credited the professional approach by his college coach, Jim Harbaugh, for molding his mindset.
“Coach Harbaugh has a very professional way about him,” Hutchison noted. “It’s what he implemented at Michigan, with the scheduling. When they send out the schedules, we don’t know what we’re going to do until the night of. Having that, keeping us on our toes, was always a very professional way about his schedule and how he ran the program. I think it’s definitely going to pay dividends at this level.”
Hutchinson is set to embark on a new journey, with an immense support system not far away. Despite this, he’ll never have to look farther than his mirror in search of motivation.
“I find little ways to motivate me,” Hutchinson said. “If one team passed on me, I guess I can use that as motivation. That’s kind of how I do things.”
