No Shortcuts: Lions' New DT Adapting to Culture Quickly

Lions newly signed nose tackle eager to help Kelvin Sheppard's defense.

Detroit Lions defensive tackle Roy Lopez (51). | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Detroit Lions added to their defensive line this offseason with the signing of Roy Lopez, and the newly added defender is eagerly making himself part of the team's culture.

Plenty has been made about general manager Brad Holmes' thorough player evaluation process. With the Lions being selective in the players they bring in throughout free agency, Detroit clearly views Lopez as a player who fits their culture.

Speaking with the media following Monday's practice, Lopez explained his affinity for the organization. Notably, he has quickly grown to appreciate the ferocity of the team's work ethic and how they approach the game.

“They love ball, man. I came into an organization, came into a room that loves ball, that understands everything about it," Lopez said Monday. "To be in a room that shares the same interest, shares the same love for getting better, for the game of football as a whole, it’s a blessing man. To be able to see guys like Hutch, guys like Reader, Davenport, Anzalone, Jack. These guys are all flying around every day. There’s no shortcuts, man. It’s an old, cliche saying. There’s no shortcuts, but here is the true definition of that.”

Detroit's roster features plenty of talented young players on its roster, and Lopez has instantly developed appreciation for their efforts. As a result, he's focused on playing loose and making the most of the opportunities he gets on the defensive line.

“Just playing fast, letting it loose, cut loose. They install confidence in you. Go out there, put it on tape, put the trust in yourself and one another," Lopez said. "From the first day of OTAs to now, it’s been so much trust being built. Doing your job, making the play when you’re supposed to and then when you call your shot, you’ve got to make it. I think that’s the biggest thing, you’re surrounded by these great players that have put so much on tape, so many years in the league. When they instill that trust in you, not just the players, the coaches as well, it’s something. You go out there with the most confidence in the world.” 

Impact of wrestling

Lopez plays with a relentless mean streak. While this physicality could be drawn to a number of motivating factors, the veteran explained that he learned plenty from his days as a wrestler as a youth.

While the challenges of cutting weight, lengthy tournaments and intense practices made it taxing physically and mentally, Lopez attributes much of what he's learned to his experiences playing the sport.

“Wrestling is everything man. I say it all the time, I owe everything to the sport of wrestling. When I was doing it, I wasn’t the biggest fan of it," Lopez explained. "Cutting weight, tournaments, everything. I did it, I loved it, I was great at it. People always say, since I was young, you can see it in my tape. I look like I’m out there wrestling, close quarters.”

Among the lessons he's learned from the sport are good pad level, body leverage and hand usage. All three of these are tools that are beneficial for players at his position, particularly in shedding blocks while defending the run.

“Oh yea, 100 percent. Inside hands, pad level, leverage, I think that’s the biggest thing," the veteran stated. "I think the biggest thing for me is that when I got tired, I’m breathing heavy and I look across the mat, he’s breathing heavy, I know I’ve got a little more than you do. I know I pushed myself a little bit more than you did.  I know I can take you into them deep waters, as Dan said in his speech. When you can take someone into the deep waters and you really lean into your mental toughness. I owe everything to the sport of wrestling." 

Hailing from Arizona, Lopez told reporters that he tries to get back home for the state finals in wrestling every year with his family.

Because of the mentality he's developed from the sport, he plays with a confidence that allows him to overpower his opponent late in games when both he and his assignment are tired.

“I know you didn’t work as hard as I did. I know you didn’t put in seven days a week for the past 10 years. You weren’t traveling at seven years old spitting in a water bottle with a heater on in the car and a sweatsuit on and your dad yelling at you," Lopez explained. "You didn’t do that, you didn’t do it like I did. So that was something that was instilled in me at a young age. Now it’s the fourth quarter, tough days in camp, dog days, I know I’ve got a little more left in me. I know I’ve got something left in the tank.”