DETROIT (WXYZ) — The odds of making it into the NFL are low. Every year, less than 2% of the total eligible college football players will hear their names called in the draft.
Now, I don’t know what the odds are of a player getting selected by the team he grew up rooting for are, but Hudsonville native Isaac TeSlaa is living out that one-in-a-million dream.
“I don’t know if I have words. I’m still processing it right now. Obviously, it’s been not only a dream to play in the NFL, but to play for my hometown team, the team I’ve been rooting for since I was a baby. So, it’s just an incredible feeling and I’m just ready to go to work,” TeSlaa said.
This didn't come as a complete shock to TeSlaa and his family however, as he went to meet with the Lions in the lead-up to the draft.
“I get into the facility, we did a little tour of the facility, a little medical check to make sure everything and then from there, just meeting with the coaching staff, being able to sit down with Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes and kind of talk life, talk ball,” TeSlaa said.
However, there is a key detail TeSlaa is leaving out about that meeting.
“When he came to his Top 30 visit, he had on a Lions jersey. I thought he just did a cheesy move just to like some fan boy stuff, and I’m just like come on. But no, he said I’ve had this since the eighth grade and what better time to wear it than now. So, I really respected that,” Lions general manager Brad Holmes said.
So, we've come full circle. The kid who grew up attending Lions games and won a state championship inside Ford Field will now call that building home.
“Obviously, it’s been fun watching them from the TV to the games, but it’s going to be even better to be on the field with them,” TeSlaa said.
TeSlaa will be joining a veteran wide receiver group that includes Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams. TeSlaa said he's excited to learn from them but also adds he'll bring something new to the room.
