Despite losing to the Chargers, Detroit Lions rookie Ahmed Hassanein walked away grateful.
One of the biggest factors in the Detroit Lions ’ resurgence over the past few years has been changing the culture.
It’s been about finding guys who care about one another, respect the game, and truly love football. It appears they’ve yet again struck gold with Detroit Lions rookie Ahmed Hassanein.
Speaking with reporters following the Lions’ unfortunate 34-7 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers , the defensive lineman explained how the experience made him emotional.
“I’m just so grateful and honored to just be in this building and be in this position,” he said. “I know we didn‘t accomplish what we wanted to but there’s a lot to learn from, but it felt good.”
While the Lions didn’t walk away with a win, the sixth-round pick out of Boise State had a solid debut, tallying four tackles and almost his first sack.
“It felt really good to be out there — it was almost a disbelief for me,” he said. “I cried in the beginning of the game, just because I couldn’t believe it. For someone like me that came so far and went through what I went through just to be here. .. I soaked in this moment and man, just looking at the field, I’m like, wow, I’m literally playing in an NFL football game right now.
Hassanein said at the end of the day, it’s about doing the absolute best he can for his team.
“I love this team. This team works really, really hard and they believe in me,” he said.
Sheesh. I think we can all take a few pointers in practicing gratitude from this guy.
And onto the rest of your notes.
- Some post-game coverage from other outlets AFTER you’ve read ours:
Tonight’s postgame process has been less than ideal, but here’s what came out of the Lions locker room after the Hall of Fame game: https://t.co/PLGNaLbhIY
— Justin Rogers | Detroit Football Network (@Justin_Rogers) August 1, 2025
NOTEBOOK: How Lions’ rookie receivers fared in preseason debut https://t.co/tSvhWHJ3AZ
— Tim Twentyman (@ttwentyman) August 1, 2025
Quick takeaways from the Lions lousy exhibition loss to the Chargers https://t.co/VI4QIfNlaZ via @thelionswire
— Jeff Risdon (@JeffRisdon) August 1, 2025
From @shawnwindsor : On an otherwise ugly night, two rookie receivers look like Detroit Lions keepers https://t.co/rUnuEK7OlQ via @freep
— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) August 1, 2025
- Over on CBS Sports, writer Zachary Pereles wonders: Have the Lions wasted their best Super Bowl chance?
- “Why do we watch football if not to be entertained?” Also from CBS Sports, Cody Benjamin builds his “All-Fun” team and you know it includes a few Lions.
- In case you missed it, tight end Brock Wright, All-Pro punter Jack Fox, long snapper Hogan Hatten, and quarterback Kyle Allen take on the TPC Michigan Golf Course in a fun video.
- Something to keep your eye on — ESPN may soon acquire NFL Media, which runs the NFL Network . This could certainly affect the way we all watch football.
- “The Pulse,” a newsletter from The Athletic, took a vote on the most overrated NFL teams and I thought you’d enjoy the winner: none other than the Green Bay Packers .