Free agent signing Roy Lopez admires what it means to be a Detroit Lion, and is eager to learn from his teammates.
It’s still odd to hear the words come from an outside, but the Detroit Lions are a national brand for fans and players.
In his first press conference as a member of the Lions, free agent signing Roy Lopez mentioned that much of the appeal of signing in Detroit was to be a part of their stellar reputation.
“The whole league, the whole country knows what the Detroit Lions stand for, and to be a part of it is a humbling experience,” Lopez said. “It’s a blessing. It’s something that I truly, truly look forward to.”
That reputation: hard work, playing with passion and relentlessness, and with the confidence they’re going to win. Those are the exact characteristics Lopez believes he’s bringing to the table as well.
“These guys play hard. They play for four quarters, to the end of the whistle, and that’s exactly who I am, you know, when people ask about me,” Lopez said. “Show up every day, ready to work, excited to be here. It’s a blessing. No bad days, man. And so, I think that’s the biggest thing is I’m gonna grind it out to the very end, till the clock hits zero and maybe one more second after that”
The new Lions defensive tackle is entering the fifth year of his NFL career, an accomplishment in and of itself. Lopez was a sixth-round pick by the Houston Texans , and immediately managed to climb into a starting role—starting 29 games in his first two seasons. But after suffering a preseason injury, the Texans waived him. The Cardinals picked him up a month later, and, again, Lopez worked his way back into the starting lineup. Now, he’s eager to take his game to the next level alongside some talented defensive linemen, including fellow nose tackle DJ Reader—a player he’s watched for years.
“I’m joining a room, DJ Reader, Alim McNeill, these guys speak for themselves, man,” Lopez said. “And Levi as well. The film speaks for itself. I’ve been watching DJ for four years now. He left Houston when I got to Houston, so when I get to Houston, I’m watching a bunch of their old tape and there’s DJ, and here we are on the same roster. It’s a blessing. That’s what I hope to continue to do in my career, is to continue to learn. I’ve learned so much already, I’ve improved so much already since I got to the NFL, so just my knowledge of ball and to learn from pros and to continue to be a pro’s pro.”
He’s not just hoping to get inspired by his fellow teammates. He’s hoping to see what it’s like to lead an NFL team. Lopez’s passion for the game—fueled by two uncles (and his dad) who both played football and currently coach it—has led him down a road where he knows he wants to coach the game when his time on the field is done. And he knows there aren’t many better examples of NFL leaders than Dan Campbell.
“I think the biggest thing when I got to talk to Detroit yesterday, the biggest thing was the tradition they’ve got (and) the culture they’ve built here. I look to coach one day, when I’m done playing. To be able to learn from Dan Campbell, that speaks for itself,” Lopez said.
As for what the Lions will get from Lopez on the field, he’s expected to take on a rotational role on the defensive line. His hand usage and leverage—forged as a two-time high school wrestling state champion (and a 113-3 record)—immediate flash on tape. He also has a crazy competitive nature that will make him an easy fit in the locker room. Those three wrestling losses he had in high school? He remembers those the most.
“I can tell you exactly what school they went to (and) what they look like today. Seriously. […] I ended up beating everybody that beat me. Oh, yeah. I definitely remember. I could tell you names, height, and weight. Social security number.”