WILLSON SAVOURS ‘SPECIAL’ NIGHT
LaSalle native and Lions tight end reflects on his first regular season win with Detroit
It was a special night not just because it was the first NFL win for Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia or that rookie Kerryon Johnson was the club’s first running back to rush for 100 yards in nearly half a decade.
For LaSalle native and tight end Luke Willson, Sunday’s 26-10 win over the New England Patriots was also the first regular-season win with the team he grew up idolizing. “It was special,” said the 28-yearold, who joined the Lions in the off-season after five seasons with Seattle. “Even coming out (onto the field Sunday). This whole experience has been special. It’s been tough because the first two weeks (both losses) wasn’t the start everyone dreamed of, but it’s pretty neat.”
For the six-foot-five, 251-pound Willson, there are still pinch-me moments.
“It’s pretty cool to sit here and know there’s a bunch of people here from Windsor,” Willson said. “It’s pretty cool to know 20 years ago I was sitting on my couch in LaSalle, Ontario, watching this team play. It’s something I’m not going to take for granted.”
When NBC aired player introductions, when starting players on offence and defence gave their name and former school, Willson opted to use Villanova (where he went to high school) and not Rice University.
Most watching the game in the United States probably dismissed it as the suburban Philadelphia university known more for basketball and not a high school. “Honestly, the ones that matter got it,” Willson said. “I love Villanova. I really enjoyed my time there. I still talk to some of my closest friends, but even staff there was tremendous, teachers and coaches. That place was awesome for me. I try to give back because they gave me a lot of opportunities both academically and athletically.” After a slow start where he saw just 10 snaps on offence in Detroit’s humbling season-opening loss to the New York Jets, Willson is becoming a bigger part of the offensive mix. For the second straight week, Willson was on for 40 snaps along with another nine on special teams.
“I feel like I was in quite a bit last week and this week and think I’m a pretty decent part of the offence. I think my role will keep expanding,” Willson said of Detroit’s offence, which often uses three or four receivers.
“It’s one of those things where we’ve got a lot of great ballplayers on this team, so to the people who don’t know football, I feel I have a pretty decent role. I’m not in the limelight ... when the ball comes my way, I try to make plays and just doing the best I can, having fun and controlling what I can control.”
He had his first multi-reception game with the Lions Sunday. His first catch drew chants of “Luuuuuuuke” from the crowd of 61,769 at Ford Field.
“That was kind of cool,” Willson said. “The home crowd chanting Luke already? That was pretty awesome.”
Willson also took pride in playing a role in Johnson becoming the first Detroit running back to rush for 100 yards since Reggie Bush in 2013.
“I didn’t know that,” Willson said. “The tight ends, we were in a lot of two tight ends sets and that was a big part of the run game. “That’s a goal every week. I walked into the league with Marshawn Lynch (in Seattle) and we were ripping those off pretty regularly, but pretty cool for K.J. to get that done.”
Had the Lions lost and fallen to 0-3, Detroit would have been facing incredible odds to make the playoffs with only five of 173 teams having accomplished that feat since 1980, but there is still much work to do at 1-2.
“To come out Sunday night (and) get the win was awesome, but we’re not here just to beat the Patriots,” Willson said. “We’ve got Dallas next week in Dallas and every game in this league is going to be a tough one, but it’s one of those things. You can’t lose games in this league. We have 13 left and we need a little run.”
This whole experience has been special. It’s been tough because the first two weeks (were losses) ... but it’s pretty neat.”