LIONS EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER BRAD HOLMES DRAFT DAY 3 QUOTE SHEET

Opening Statement: “I know there’s still work to do, picks still going on, but I wanted to make sure I got you guys out of here and you didn’t have to wait long. I stepped out and made sure convenience. First of all, I wanted to start off by – man, I know it wasn’t just Lions fans, but to set the NFL record for attendance for the Draft site, that’s – I mean, I’ve said all along that we have the best fans in the world. The anticipation of having the Draft here just meant so much. We talked about it just being able to let the world and the NFL world get a taste of what Detroit’s about and what this culture’s about. Great for our city, great for our franchise, but that’s something to be said. You get 700,000 fans at one Draft host city, that’s about as impressive as it gets. Just want to really thank the fans. Just want to really thank the League and the (Detroit) Sports Commission and everybody, just everybody that played a part in this. Just really, really excited about this.”

On the uniqueness of scouting Lions fourth-round draft selection OL Giovanni Manu out of Canada: “Yeah, it was a cool story because (Lions Senior Personnel Executive) John Dorsey, he kind of got wind of – he had a really good workout and he kind of got on the workout circuit, and really starting back with (Lions Scout, Auxiliary) Ademi Smith who scouted him and then Dorsey finds out about the workout, and Dorsey and (Lions Assistant General Manager) Ray (Agnew) talk and Ray comes to me and he’s telling me like, ‘Man, I think you’ve probably got to take a look at Giovanni here.’ Then, I watched the tape, and you know it’s what it is. It’s a low-level competition, but when I watched the tape, the upside of the actual player – it’s not about who he was going against and all that stuff, I just – we just kind of got enamored with the upside and then when we reached out to his agent and tried to get him in for a visit because he wasn’t at the Combine, we could hardly get on the dance car. The whole dance car was filled up. So, he came in on a Sunday, like a Sunday afternoon and that was like visit number nine. He came in and he did a great job and sat with the coaches, and we felt really good about him. We felt really good about his makeup. He’s wired the right way. He’s got a really cool story and he’s been through some things. But we were so blown away just (by) his makeup, his character, the way he’s wired and he’s got a lot of upside. It’s not a whole lot about right now with him, a lot like – you know we talked about (Lions DL) Brodric Martin last year. This is more of a down-the-road future deal, but the upside is enormous. Just really, really excited to work with him. Him and (Lions RB Sione) Vaki, those are the guys that going to bed last night, going to bed I was like, ‘We’re not trading into – we’re not trading into the fourth. We’re just going to sit back and wait.’ But when I woke up, that’s when I was like, ‘Man, it’s those two guys that if they don’t make it, those are going to be some gut punches.’ So, when I finally got to the facility and I went to (Lions Head Coach) Dan (Campbell) and I said, ‘Dan, dude, these two guys.’ And I told him the two guys and he was like, ‘Those are the same two guys that I was thinking about this morning.’ And I was like, ‘Let’s go get them. Let’s not mess around.’ And again, you always get the answers to the test after you pick them, and if we would’ve waited around, they weren’t going to make it.”

On what they liked about the versatility of Lions fourth-round draft selection RB Sione Vaki and his ability to be a three-phase player: “Yeah, well that’s what first stood out is we thought he was one of the better special teams players in this entire Draft, all four phases of special teams. Especially with some of the changes that are coming about, he’s really – he’s starting to come to life even more. And then really later on in the process, just sticking to the special teams component, it kind of came to life even more with some possible return value. You’re looking at him at four corps in the return units as more of a blocker, but he can actually – the stuff that he can do with the ball in his hands. I first saw him when he had first made the switch when they got kind of short at running back there at Utah. They just had him fill in. But we were more so looking at him as a safety, but he looks so natural as a runner. I was like, ‘Wait, where did these backyard instincts of his come from of just him running the ball and making these plays?’ Not only does he have these instincts that are (more) natural (than) we thought, he’s not even majoring in it. He just did that because they just got kind of shorthanded and he was like, ‘Oh, you need a running back? I’ll help out.’ And he started making these plays running the ball and in the passing game. When I saw that, I was like, ‘He’s not even majoring in this and he’s looking like that?’ And then you get more into his background, and he was more of an offensive player in high school. He did a lot of things on offense. But it was very impressive what he did with the ball in his hands, and not just making (people) miss and things like that, but he runs hard. Again, he’s a football player who plays football how we like it, and there’s nothing about him that he doesn’t have the ability to play safety because he can do that too. He was one of the guys that had one of the more impressive pro days I thought because he worked out as a DB. Very long DB workout and the DB workout was really good, and then he worked out as a running back. And then, good running back, and then after the running back workout he worked out as a wide receiver. And then he does a wide receiver workout, and then he works out at special teams. You see all that and the guy’s like – I mean the fact to even go through all those different phases of that workout was impressive in itself. Just the love for him just kept growing. But he’s a very unique player. Again, it’s nothing saying that he cannot play safety, but our vision of what he could become as a runner, really it starts with those special teams.”

On how much Lions RB Sione Vaki will be working with the running backs versus defensive backs to start: “We have some options there, but we know he can play safety. We know he can do that, but the vision is we’re so intrigued by the running back stuff, especially because he hadn’t been majoring in it, so it’s like how far can this thing go if he’s actually majoring in this thing in one room? So that’s going to be the vision.”

On giving up 2025 NFL Draft assets for players that have upside down the road and what they have to do to make it worthwhile: “Well, I wouldn’t say shorthanded. I think the only pick we don’t have is a third-round pick. Is that right? Would that be shorthanded if you’re missing one third-round pick? So, I feel really good about it. And we looked at that because I would not have thought that we would’ve been able to trade twice into the fourth round. When I looked at the – again, when you look at those things it’s like, ‘OK, well what are the future assets?’ Well, we did all the calculations and I was like, ‘Wait, well you can do it because you have the extra four.’ I was like, ‘Man, if you can do all of this and the only thing you feel like you’re losing is a future third, just go ahead and do it.’ And so, we felt really good about that and that’s why we went ahead and did it. You always get a better feeling that you can go and get your guys and that’s what we did. We couldn’t be more thrilled about it and even with what we still have left from a capital standpoint for the future.”

On if he feels he has enough to help get the team to the next level: “Yeah. Look, I was thinking about that this morning. A lot of these guys – where we’re at as a roster – man, if they win a spot and they play, then they play. If they don’t, they don’t. You look at the corners – yeah, we really like these corners. They’re rookies. They’ve got to win a spot, you know, because (Lions CB) Carlton Davis III has been a proven starter. A healthy (Lions CB) Emmanuel Moseley is a proven starter. (Lions CB) Amik Robertson is a proven – like these are good players that have been proven starters that’ve made plays. It's not just a given, you know? They all want to play, they’re all wired right, but man look, it’s good to be there from a roster standpoint. If these corners play, they play. They’ve got to win a spot, and that’s for everybody. It’s a good feeling to be in a spot where we feel good about the depth we have, we feel good about the future we have, but man, those guys have got to compete and win spots. I know that we’re a better football team, now, to take that step, like you were talking about. It’s going to be really up to them. Now, we’re going to do our part and make sure that they’re surrounded with the resources to be set up for success with their development, but those guys got to compete.”

On if he has any insights into why Lions OL Christian Mahogany fell in the Draft: “I was shocked. I didn’t think he would still be there at that point. I can’t really go into details. I can probably point out a thing here or there that may have been a reason that we’ll keep internally, but there’s other players that I probably would have had a lot more questions on that went. I don’t know. I just know that he fits how we want to play, and he’s a tough, physical – he’s got some dirtbag in him and he’s just one of those tough, Jersey kids that doesn’t take a lot of crap. He’s got some fun tape to watch and he’s gone against some good defensive linemen and he’s done well versus them. So, we were excited to get him.”

On if his willingness to trade up is because he has a very specific idea about the type of players he wants: “Yeah, it’s a little mixture of both. Me and (Lions Head Coach) Dan (Campbell), we’ll have the same vision of what we see with that player, whether it’s with their development, which stage that they might be able to contribute, what the usage will be, what the role will be, but once we’re aligned there, it’s just, man, let’s just go get the guys that we want. That’s really what it comes down to, but it also comes down to, I mean, how many late-round picks can you have from where we are as a roster? You start looking around and you start looking at the board as well, it’s like, ‘Man, these guys are just sticking out a little bit more than some other guys.’ They’re on the board for a reason because you’re comfortable with drafting those players, that’s why they’re up there, but some kind of stick out a little bit more than others. So, then you start looking back, and you’re like, ‘Well, you’ve got two sixes, you’ve got a seven.’ You start looking, you’re like, ‘It’s going to be hard. You could get this wide receiver, but he doesn’t play special teams, so I really don’t know how this is going to work because now you have to really want a spot but he’s probably not,’ and some guys, it doesn’t add up or make a lot of sense. We couldn’t be more thrilled with the guys that we got.”

On Lions DL Mekhi Wingo having a good football character and if he has the experience to help project where he might contribute in the NFL: “I would say that you’re right on the football character aspect. I mean this guy fits our culture like a glove. Great kid. Look, it’s hard to lock down that No. 18 at LSU – that just means something. I think his character speaks for itself. His football character shows on film too, the way that he plays. But the role – and that’s a good question – because that’s kind of what I had to get to. I originally was just looking at him as purely just a defensive tackle that was just going to be playing inside. I was like, ‘Man, I’m not sure.’ But when I kept watching him, his rush ability really started to come to light. I kind of put him in a different box – a little bit like when we talked about (Lions DL Josh) Paschal when Paschal came out. It’s like, ‘OK, can he play on the edge on first and second down, and can he do some inside rush?’ Wingo, he’s got a lot of good stuff on tape as an edge rusher actually, surprisingly. His sub-rush is pretty impressive. Not saying that he can’t play base downs inside because he can do that as well, but when you put him in that specialized category, or that position – whether it’s more of a big end or more of an elephant that can do some interchangeable things, that’s kind of where he's standing. When we saw him in that light, that’s kind of when he became more attractive to us.”

On the origin of the Draft room wearing the black, Dan Campbell No. 89 jerseys: “Look, I’m not taking any credit for this one, but I’m glad that the idea was brought up. But this is (Lions President and CEO) Rod Wood’s idea for us to wear these jerseys. I thought it looked awesome on television. I mean just the texts that I was getting and just me seeing it, I was like, ‘Wow, that was even cooler than I thought it was going to be.’ But yeah, it was Rod’s idea, obviously with the new blacks and just the whole story. I’m sure you guys heard about Dan when he wanted the black jerseys back, so it all kind of came full circle. But I thought it was a good look.”

On if envisions the NFC North being one of the best divisions in the NFL in the near future: “I could see it heading that way for sure. It’s hard to make an argument for it now in terms of – those guys got some good players. We’ve got some good players too. It’s going to be a good division. Obviously, you kind of saw it last year of some of the guys in the division making some surges. So, yeah, we’re going to expect everybody’s best, whether it’s in the division or outside. But yeah, we’ll be ready.”

On how he sets up the Draft board: “I’ll try to be as generalized as I can. It is vertically by positions. We’re not big rounds – we have it set up in a way where it equates to a round, we just don’t use the word ‘round.’ It’s the same thing with our grading scales – we don’t use ‘rounds’ on our grading scale. Sometimes I might say, ‘We’ve got a second-round grade,’ because that’s kind of what makes sense, but the reason we kind of stay away from the whole ‘rounds’ thing is that when they come on your roster, they’re either a starter, they’re either a backup. They’re not a ‘round’ anymore. It’s not a fourth-round receiver, it’s not a sixth-round safety. He’s either a backup or he’s a high-end backup – that’s what it is. It's vertically by position from the top to the bottom.”

On how big the drop is in tiers of prospects: “It’s really more so – the grade will reflect what the upside and the role is, and then that’s where you kind of get the separation and gaps. Really, it’s actually cooler to look at it horizontally than it is to look at it vertically. You do so much work over the whole year that by the time you get to around to March, you have a good feel of how it looks vertically. But sometimes you’ve got to look at it horizontally with different positions, and then that’s when you can truly kind of get a sense of, ‘How good is this Draft? How strong is this Draft?’ We’re looking at the whole thing – I believe it was Monday – and you could clearly see – we had it split with offense and defense. You could clearly see we had a whole lot more names on the offensive side of the ball than we had on the defensive side of the ball. That’s when you kind of got clarity that this is an offensively strong Draft.”

On how it looks to compare the Draft board horizontally: “If you have everything stacked vertically by position – you have your running backs, your quarterbacks and wide receivers, well, you’ve got them vertically stacked. But also, when you look at it next to other positions, it’s like, ‘What’s this wide receiver that we’ve got in the same bucket as this guard? What’s this D-tackle?’ That’s kind of when you get a feel.”

On what it meant to the organization to extend Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown and Lions T Penei Sewell: “It meant everything. First of all, I’m so happy for them. Those guys are truly our core. Those guys truly are our foundation. They were our first Draft. But the main thing that I’ve been saying to everybody is it represents not only a testament to all the hard work that they’ve done, but it’s such a representation of who we are as an organization in terms of man they earned that. They earned that. We’re all about earning it. We’re not expecting a shortcut here or there, and man all the credit to them. Extremely happy, but it is cool that both of those guys – look, it says a lot to be extended. It speaks not only to a lot of different areas, but it speaks to the locker room and who you pay, who you draft, who you extend. And so, I do think I was – I kind of saw the clip of our other wide receivers celebrating St. Brown outside in front of the facility, and I just think that’s really cool because I just think he’s highly respected and I think no one would argue that he’s truly earned that, and the same thing with Penei. I was talking with Penei after he got done signing his contract and I was like, ‘Man, it was like three years ago you were here with your parents.’ We had just drafted him and he was here with his parents, and now he’s got two kids running around and he just signed and he’s the highest-paid tackle. But no, those guys represent everything that we’re about. They embody everything that we’re about. It was a no-brainer in terms of making the decision to do those extensions. Obviously there’s business that gets involved, we actually thought we were going to get it done a lot earlier but the business is kind of – takes a little bit longer, but those are easy decisions. Happy for those guys.”

On if it was purposeful to extend Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown and Lions T Penei Sewell on the first day of the NFL Draft: “No, it really wasn’t. We kind of got wind that it was getting close, either Tuesday or Wednesday, that we were like, ‘OK, I think we’re getting close. I think it’s a possibility that it could be Wednesday.’ And so that’s just kind of how it happened, but it wasn’t intentional.”


LIONS FOURTH-ROUND DRAFT SELECTION (NO. 126 OVERALL) OL GIOVANNI MANU DRAFT DAY 3 QUOTE SHEET

On what his experience was like during his Top 30 visit and how much he could gauge the interest the Lions had in him through this process: “Yeah, one thing that made me really appreciative and knew that the Lions were all in was that they decided to do the visit on a Sunday. And I remember my agent called me, he told me, ‘That’s something rarely any teams want to do for prospects.’ So, he told me, ‘Them willing to do this on a Sunday, coming in on a day off to host me says a lot.’ And I was truly appreciative of it. And just walking down the hallway, seeing all the historical figures on the wall and seeing the amazing facility, but most importantly, to me, was meeting (Lions) Head Coach Dan Campbell and the (Lions Executive Vice President and General Manager Brad Holmes) GM. Both of them are really good guys. I relate to their work ethic and all that. And I loved my visit overall and I remember leaving, I told myself, ‘I felt at home here. And I would not mind at all if these guys took a chance on me.’ And I so happen to be here now. So, yeah, it was great.”

On what it means to him to be the first NFL Draft pick out of the University of British Columbia: “Yeah, it’s great. It’s been a long journey. My family’s had to sacrifice a lot for me to be at this stage and I’m just truly thankful for it. I’m not here on my own. I’m here because of my family and all the mentors I’ve met on the way through this amazing sport of football I discovered here, in Canada. My aunt raised me out here in Vancouver, Canada. Yeah, truly thankful to them. And yeah, the journey’s only starting. It’s going to get a whole lot better. But, yeah, it’s been a long process, a lot of sacrifice, a lot of blood, sweat and tears, but I’m happy to be here.”

On if he projects himself to play more left tackle or right tackle and which position he played more in college: “In college, I predominantly played left tackle. I only played one season of left guard. But when I took my visit to Detroit, they asked me where I prefer to play. I just told them, ‘I’ll play anywhere. I’ll play at a position that puts me on the field the quickest. I’ll play a position that contributes to the team winning.’ So, either that’s right side, which is a side that will be, obviously, awkward at first, but something I believe that I can accomplish with repetition. I’m willing to do those small things to do whatever it is to bring Detroit more wins and, hopefully, a Super Bowl championship, so yeah.”

On why he decided to come to North America and pursue football instead of basketball: “Yeah, so I’m in Vancouver, Canada. That’s where I did college. I did it – I wasn’t in America, but – so, my journey was basically, I was born and raised in Tonga, in the South Pacific. It’s really close to Samoa. I’m pretty sure you guys know where Samoa is with (Lions T) Penei (Sewell). Our islands are really close to each other. It’s about a 45-minute flight from each other. But – so, I was born and raised in Tonga until about the age of 11 and then migrated over to up here to Vancouver, Canada. And the reason for the migration was just for better life opportunities and better education because as nice as it is growing up in the South Pacific by the sun and having this constant sunshine on the beach, it is extremely hard to make a living out there. It's considered a third-world country. So, I moved up here to Vancouver, Canada, where my mom’s oldest sister has been living out here since the 90s. And, basically, she told my mom before my mom had myself and my siblings, she told her, ‘If you ever have kids and you want to send them somewhere for better living opportunities and education, you can always send them up here to me and I’ll make sure they’ll have all those.’ So, my mom basically raised myself and my two siblings on the island until we reached a reasonable age for high school. And then she moved us up here and then we went to a small school, small town called Pitt Meadows, about an hour outside of Vancouver. And then that’s where I discovered American football, as well as basketball, and just kind of ran with the two until I graduated and then got recruited and it was a – I think discovering American football has been the greatest blessing in my life. And yeah, I love this sport, so yeah.”

On if Lions T Penei Sewell is someone he has studied throughout his career: “Yeah, I look up to Penei a lot. I do study a lot of his film. I think he’s the best tackle in the League right now. He moves so fluid for how big he is and not just that, but he’s an inspiration to the Polynesian community. I remember when I was in college, I watched his Draft Day process, and it was just basically a vlog of his whole day of being drafted. I remember he ended the vlog by saying, ‘Any Polynesian kids out there,’ and he named all the islands and I remember he said Tonga. He said, ‘If you kids out there want to make it to the NFL, you can truly make it if you put your mind to it.’ And I remember I was in my second year of college when he said that, and I remember him saying that. It really motivated me, and I told myself, ‘If one of my fellow Polynesian brothers can make it, which is him – and he’s giving me words of motivation, there’s no reason why I can’t do it either.’ So, he’s a true inspiration, not only to Samoa, but to the whole Polynesian community. And it’s great that I’ll be playing with a guy like that, and I just hope to soak up as much information and technique from him.”

On what his Draft Day experience has been like: “Yeah, my whole family is here. My mom, dad, sister. Just my brother, he stayed back on the island back in Tonga because he has to look over the – someone’s got to look over the family business while everyone’s here. So, he decided to sacrifice and do that, which I’m truly thankful for. He’s not here to share this moment, but right after this, I’m probably going to phone him up. But, yeah, he’s back there. My niece came too, my brother’s daughter. And my girlfriend’s here and just my – some of my teammates from my college and my high school friends. I didn’t want to do it too big. I just wanted those who I consider in my small circle here and just share that moment. And it was amazing when I got that phone call and I saw the Detroit (city) on it. And it was just – it was just a blessing. It was something out of a dream and I’m truly thankful for it, so yeah.”

On what the family business in Tonga is and how difficult the transition between rugby and football was for him: “Yeah, so the family business back home, my dad runs a workshop. So, it’s like anything to do with vehicles, whether it’s painting, maintenance, engine repair, my dad deals with that. So, that’s what he’s been doing since he was a youngin’ and that’s what’s helping feed the family right now. And I’m truly thankful for my dad’s hard work and my brother. And the transition from rugby to football was pretty – I feel like the stuff I took from rugby was the physicality. I love physicality. I love hitting people. I love creating big hits and just hitting people in general. And that’s why I played rugby. And transitioning from that to football, sometimes it’s hard to motivate someone to hit someone, or something like that in football, but that just flowed naturally to me. But the only thing that I remember that I had trouble with, with football were things like getting in a stance, learning the rules, such as you can’t hold, or you can’t move until the ball’s snapped, those little things. But in terms of physicality, someone having to motivate me to hit someone, that was never an issue. One thing my coach always preached he – my coaches who actually told me in high school that I’m hitting people too hard, so yeah.”
 

LIONS FOURTH-ROUND DRAFT SELECTION (NO. 132 OVERALL) RB SIONE VAKI DRAFT DAY 3 QUOTE SHEET

On what his conversations were like with the Lions and what position they envision him playing: “When I visited with the Lions, I was just – my initial thought was to just come in and, I don’t know, just be wherever the coaches – wherever the organization needed me to be. It was for the offensive side of the ball. So, wherever they need me, I’m ready to go.”

On if he was told he would play running back for the Lions during his pre-Draft process: “Yes, when I came in, I met with the (Lions) Offensive Coordinator (Ben Johnson) as well as with the (Lions Assistant Head Coach/) Running Backs Coach (Scottie Montgomery), so I assumed that it was for the offensive side of the ball.”

On his history as a running back and what he likes about the offensive side of the ball: “Yeah, it was a – it was a crazy story. I had just walked into the facility and one of the GAs, Coach (Chase) Murdock, had a – he remembered to remind me as soon as I got there that I was going to have an offensive period with the offense. So, my experience hasn’t been a lot, but my willingness to be able to learn, to put my head down and learn from the vets in the room is what I’m going to be coming in, whether that’s – whether I’m starting on defense, I’m going to try to – I’m going to try to lift where I stand, or if I start on special teams.”

On how unique his pre-Draft process was with him being able to play multiple positions and teams choosing how they wanted to use him in their schemes: “I was, I don’t know, it was nerve-wracking for me, just not understanding – not knowing which teams or which side I was going to be picked on. But I’m just grateful to come to the Motor City and just ready to get started whenever.”

On how having experience on both offense and defense gives him an advantage as a football player: “I think, just my understanding of both sides of the ball, being able to play in both positions and understanding where – what to attack, where the offense wants to attack and things like that. So, in that sense, I feel like it helps me a lot coming into this Draft.”

On the special teams roles he has had in his career and his passion for this element of the game: “Yeah, I was an R3 on kickoff. I was an edge on punt return. I also have some experience with returning kickoffs, as well as being in-depth for punt returns. So, I mean, I’m all about special teams. So, when it comes to that, that’s where I earned my stripes and that’s where I’ll kind of earn my stripes as well there, in Detroit.”

On how his time at Utah has helped him prepare to play in the NFL and grow his game: “Yes sir, Coach (Kyle) Whittingham runs a tight ship. I think he goes perfectly with the standard that (Lions Head) Coach (Dan) Campbell brings, as far as just putting our head down and working. He’s – it helped me to just be able to be mentally tough, to understand that everything’s important, that we should worry about all the details, all small details in our craft and so that’s what I plan on coming here and doing. It’s just perfecting my craft.”

On if there was different feedback from each team based on the position they envisioned for him and which position he focused on the most during the Draft process: “Yeah, there was definitely a lot of chatter on both sides of the ball. I honestly didn’t know. But now, there’s only one team that matters right now and it’s Detroit and I’m going to play wherever they need me to play.”

On what it was like growing up the youngest of 11 children and how his childhood influenced his football career: “Yeah, it was definitely tough. Being the youngest, you definitely have your own chores as well as everyone else’s. So, you can say I always learned to fight my way through life. And I love my family so much, as well as my siblings, and I wouldn’t be here without them.”

On if he took his mission to Tonga: “Yes, sir.”

On if he knows Lions OL Giovanni Manu who is from Tonga: “No, sir, but I can’t wait to get to know him.”

On how unique it is to have a connection to Tonga with Lions OL Giovanni Manu as well as them both being fourth-round picks: “Yeah, I mean, it’s a blessing. I’m known as a ‘plastic,’ someone who doesn’t know the language, so I’m definitely going have to be coached up by Manu on the language, as well as possibly football tips, so I’m excited to meet him.”

On if he is interested in being a three-phase player without a defined position: “Yes, sir, I’m here to be a resource. I feel like my biggest thing is being available. So, yeah, wherever the organization needs me is where I’m going to be. If they need me passing out waters to the vets, that’s what I’m going to do.”

On how much upside he thinks he has with being older and not having much experience at running back: “I feel like it gives me a lot of upside, just – the coaches are able to mold me into whatever they want me to be. And I’m a kid who comes from hard work and putting my head down and giving 110 percent effort in wherever I stand. So, when it comes to the organization, they’re getting everything that I got, so I feel like it brings a lot of upside to not only myself, but the organization itself.”
 

LIONS SIXTH-ROUND DRAFT SELECTION (NO. 189 OVERALL) DL MEKHI WINGO DRAFT DAY 3 QUOTE SHEET

On what it meant to wear number 18 at LSU: “So, the number 18 is awarded to one guy on the team each year that just exemplifies what the program stands for on and off the field. Just a high-character guy that’s out in the community, but also a guy you can count on every Saturday that is going to bring it. So, that’s what the 18 is about at LSU.”

On if wearing number 18 plays into why he decided to play in his last Bowl game at LSU: “Yes, sir, absolutely. That’s the type of guy that I am. Being at number 18, being that leader, I had the injury early throughout the year, didn’t feel like I got my full 18 season. And of course, I could’ve just packed up, declared, and did this, but it really got to me watching my team lose a few games with me being on the sideline. So, once I had my surgery, I just rehabbed my butt off and made it an emphasis to get back on the field and be with my guys one last time.”

On if he and Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell mesh together because of their violent style of football: “Definitely, yes, sir, that’s definitely something that we have in common. I’ve seen the style of football that the Detroit Lions like to play and I’m glad I’m a part of the club now because I definitely bring that to the organization.”

On how he makes up for his lack of size in comparison to the players he competes against and what he thought of former Rams DL Aaron Donald and his game: “How I would make up for the lack of size is I have to do the ordinary things, extraordinary things extremely well. I have to have better eyes than the guy that’s 6 (feet) 5 (inches) that might fall into a play and my hand placement has to be better, but I’ve been undersized my whole life. It’s nothing that just happened, so I’ve just got to continue to work with the habits that I work with now and hopefully, it’ll lead me to have a successful career.”

On what he believes his abilities are as a pass-rusher and what he thinks he can do at the next level: “Yes, sir, definitely a guy that can push the pocket and get out to the quarterback. But, immediately coming in, I just want to come in and learn from the older guys. The vets in the room, see what different things they can tweak to my game and the coach as well. And just see how I can take my game to the next level by working with them.”

On what Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell and Lions Executive Vice President and General Manager Brad Holmes said they like about his game: “Just, how I’m a disrupter and a leader and a guy that’s going to give you everything that he’s got. I’m going to lay it on the line for the team week-in, week-out. That’s the type of guy I am. I’m a team-first player and they love that mentality.”

On the background on his Zoom call: “Yes, sir, this is a background in this little room. It’s kind of like superhero design. I’m at an Air B&B out in Orlando right now with my family. And it’s kind of like – it’s nice all around the walls.”

On if he is a big superhero fan: “No, absolutely not. I do not like superhero movies at all.”

On whether or not he is looking to be a ballhawk in the NFL with the one interception he recorded against North Texas in 2021: “If I’m lucky enough to get another interception, that’ll be great. But I’m just trying to be a guy that can do everything that the team needs of me. I’m just trying to come in and learn and just be a valuable asset in any way that I can. That’s my mindset right now.”

On what he likes about joining a room with veteran defensive linemen in Lions DLs Alim McNeill and DJ Reader: “I like that there are some guys in the room that have been where I want to be in this League, just guys that can take me under their wing. I can really follow their lead and be successful. So, I’m glad that I got drafted into a veteran room and I’m going to soak up as much knowledge as I can from those guys.”

On if he had a relationship with Lions CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr. during the time he spent with him at Missouri: “Yes, sir, Ennis is my guy. We text all the time. Ennis is my guy. I still have a good relationship with a lot of guys from Missouri.”

On what he thinks the Lions will get out of Lions CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr.: “Ennis, you’re getting a dog. Man, he’s relentless. He’s going to fly around to the ball. He’s going to make plays on the ball and he’s a great person. That’s another guy that’s going to give you everything he’s got day-in, day-out, play-in, play-out.”

On how he has had to overcome adversity in his career including injuries: “Yes, sir, obviously, the injuries that I had this year. But honestly, my whole career has been adversity. I’m a six-foot D-tackle, there’s not a lot (of them) that make it far in the NFL, and getting to the NFL was always a goal of mine. So, I’ve always been overlooked from the high school level, college level. But now that I finally have this opportunity, I’m just ready to make an impact the best way that I can for the team.”
 

LIONS SIXTH-ROUND DRAFT SELECTION (NO. 210 OVERALL) OL CHRISTIAN MAHOGANY DRAFT DAY 3 QUOTE SHEET

On if he thinks Lions Executive Vice President and General Manager Brad Holmes saying he has some dirtbag to him is a compliment: “Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, it’s something that I really pride myself on, and I’m glad Mr. Holmes saw it as well as (Lions Head) Coach (Dan) Campbell and everyone else. That’s something I pride myself on and I look forward to bringing it to the National Football League.”

On if he wondered why he slipped in the NFL Draft: “No, I wasn’t really thinking that. Everything happens for a reason. I really do feel like this is one of the best spots for me. I probably said that before the Draft started, before the pre-Draft process started. Just being able to get picked where I got picked is a blessing in and of itself. I’m glad that it was Detroit and I’m just happy to move on.”

On why he thought Detroit was one of the best spots for him: “Offensive line is a strong culture, and I feel like you guys – well now, us, I can say – we have one of the best offensive line rooms in the NFL. Me just being a sponge and learning from those guys – (Lions T) Penei Sewell, (Lions G Graham) Glasgow, (Lions T Taylor) Decker, (Lions G Kevin) Zeitler – it’s going to be special for me (for) where I’m at in my career just to learn and be a sponge and take everything in. That’s why I feel that way.”

On what his contact with the Lions was like before the Draft: “We spoke a little, obviously, at the Shrine Bowl and at the Combine, but it wasn’t anything too over extensive. I had a feeling maybe around this time that they were going to take me. It happened so it was good.

On why he decided to stay at Boston College and not transfer his senior year: “I would say I’m a very loyal person. I’m loyal to teammates, players, the people around Boston College, my city, this school, everything around. I could have transferred, I could have taken the easy way out and done something that maybe in the moment is the sexy thing to do, but I wanted to stay and be able to win at Boston College for my coaches, (Boston College Head) Coach (Jeff) Hafley, all my teammates, (Boston College OL)  Ozzy (Trapio) and the O-line – we revamped that. I just wanted to be able to stay – and my family as well. I just wanted to be able to stay and do the things that I wanted to do at Boston College, which was win, and we did that this year.”

On Friday at approximately 6:15 P.M., deputies were dispatched to Northland Drive at 8 Mile Road in Mecosta Township for a two vehicle accident.

Investigation found that a 19-year-old female from Morley was travelling northbound on Northland Drive when a 19-year-old male from Ada failed to yield while going eastbound on 8 Mile Road and caused the collision.

The 19 y/o female was transported to Corewell Hospital in Big Rapids for non-life-threatening injuries. Deputies were assisted on scene by Mecosta Township Fire/Rescue, Mecosta County EMS and Meceola Central Dispatch.

LIONS EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER BRAD HOLMES DRAFT DAY 2 QUOTE SHEET

Opening Statement: “Again, I hate to sound like a broken record, but again thrilled with how it fell tonight. Obviously (Lions CB) Ennis (Rakestraw Jr.) was a guy we had ranked very, very high. He’s another one that we didn’t think he was going to make it that far. We didn’t even know if he was going to make it out of really the first night. But when he was still there starting today, I didn’t think he was going to last that long. But just – we were actually trying to get up, but we were just so far down. A lot of people don’t really want to trade that far down, so we just kind of stayed pat. We were just thrilled that he landed there. He had some medical stuff he had to go through last season, and he battled it throughout the whole spring process as well. So, I think that kind of set him back a little bit too, but just thrilled how it panned out.”

On what the competition will look like at cornerback after loading up at the position this offseason: “Yeah, it’s a bloodbath in there now. It is, and that’s what makes everything better. It makes the room better, it makes the defense better, it makes the team better. Competition just brings the best out of everybody. And look, it’s something that – we didn’t go into it saying that we were going to get two corners in the first two rounds. We really didn’t, it was just he was the highest-graded guy for us at the time. We went ahead, and you know how we roll. We went ahead and got him. But those were also our top-two ranked corners as well. And you know, look, it’s an all-things-considered process, not just stats and highlights. It’s a lot of things that are involved in those rankings. But we’re just thrilled because they’re all the same in terms of they both fit us like a glove. They’re both gritty, physical, challenge-mentality kind of guys. They can press. I know I talked a lot about (Lions CB) Terrion (Arnold) yesterday but sticking on (Lions CB) Ennis (Rakestraw Jr.), a guy that – saw him on film at first and thought he was going to be a lot smaller. He was thinner the year before, but when I saw him at the LSU game, Mizzou-LSU game, his frame looked good. He looked like a guy that can play outside and survive and then you see how he is in the run game, and now you get up and face some really good receivers in the SEC. But yeah, just thrilled how it fell through.”

On if Lions second-round draft selection CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr. was high up on their board when they tried to trade up: “Yeah, it just wasn’t a lot of guys that we had that highly ranked. It was really just a couple of guys that we had up there where they would’ve been possible considerations at 29. So, it was a couple of those guys so we were trying to get one of them. One of them went, and then Ennis was still there, so we went ahead and got him. Again, we don’t really care the position it’s just we take the best player. It just so happens that setup. Again, it’s something that we’ve always been trying to find that future at that position, and it just never really matched up. It never really lined up. We weren’t in a position to get one or we just had a better player at another position ranked over that – another corner. It’s not anything that we’ve been ignoring or anything, it just really hadn’t been lined up. We’re not going to reach for a corner just to get a corner either. But yeah, super ecstatic that we finally got some future and youth at that position.”

On Lions CBs Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. being on the same Top 30 visit together and what stood out about them off-the-field: “Yeah, so first of all, going to Terrion I know we talked about just the personality and just big energy, big personality, very, very confident. Ennis is actually different. You feel the confidence. Me and (Lions Head Coach) Dan (Campbell) sitting there and talking to him, I just kind of felt ‘dog’ exuding out of him, just a lot more quiet, just kind of to the point and to the business, not as loud and vocal and vivid personality like Terrion was. And again, that’s how all these kids are. There’s – it’s actually a really fun process where all of them are asked a lot of the same questions and you get these different answers. They’re all different personalities. But Terrion and Ennis, both of them you really felt like, ‘OK, these guys fit who we’re about. These guys fit our culture.’ But it was something about Ennis, just the competitiveness, the drive, how he talked about his story, how he talked about his process, how he talks about just the details of ever since he came out of high school out in Texas and just the whole recruiting process and how when he got to Missouri, his whole thing about these receivers that he’s been up against in the past going against (Steelers WR George) Pickens. All these things that I was just like, ‘Man, this guy’s about one of the more competitive kids just talking with him.’ So, it’s not only that I felt a competitive dog out of him, but he was speaking it too and his tape shows the same thing.”

On not taking prospects out to Top Golf like the Washington Commanders: “No, it probably would’ve been a good little tournament though.”

On if there was a self-scout process within the defense that identified certain characteristics they wanted their offseason secondary additions to have: “Yeah, me and (Lions Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn) AG have had conversations about that. Again, really open and transparent conversations just about what the process has been about kind of really solidifying that position. But I know exactly what we want it to look like. Often what we were – when I was in L.A. with the Rams and playing against when (Lions Head Coach) Dan (Campbell) and AG were with the Saints, I actually thought of them as one of the more suffocating defenses that we went against. Just everything felt very tight and suffocating and sticky. It was just a lot of just – it was hard to find separation. Going against that kind of defense, I had a really good feel for what Dan and AG kind of wanted that defense to be like. That’s what we’ve been striving for. Look, we had a lot of work to do on defense. Like I told you guys back maybe around Owners Meetings, there was maybe a little less work to do with some of the offensive linemen that we had in place when we got here, but defense was a complete start-over basically. So, we just have been kind of doing it brick-by-brick, but again we’re not going to reach on a position. We’re not going to just draft a corner just because he plays corner. No, it’s got to be the right football player. So, it just so happened that this year (Lions CB) Terrion (Arnold) was the right football player. (Lions CB) Ennis (Rakestraw Jr.) was the right football player, he just happened to play the corner position.”

On if the team wrestles with doubling up at a certain position when they have needs at other positions too: “No, I really don’t. Yeah, I mean you look at it, and you probably wouldn’t draft seven corners. You probably won’t do that, but the board probably wouldn’t be shaped like that. At some point, there’s going to be another player at another position that’s probably ranked higher. But eventually, yeah, it probably hits a maximum, but we were kind of lacking some youth – especially on the outside there. That’s why it lined up. Again, it’s hard for us, it’s hard for me and (Lions Head Coach) Dan (Campbell), it’s hard for our staff, to have a guy that’s a really good football player that fits for us and you say, ‘Ah, no, we already took at that position. Let’s get this other player. He’s not as good as this player at this position, let’s get another player at another position that’s not as good because he plays another position or a player that we’re not that fired up about, but he plays another position.’ It’s hard to sleep at night, to do that. That’s how we’ve operated so far to this point and that’s what we’ll keep doing.”

On the value of drafting players who have overcome adversity on the field: “That’s huge, and that’s something that’s really, very important to us when we’re talking to these prospects about telling us about adverse moments. The way they answer that question, some of it is football related, some of it is life-related. But I think that’s a very important and critical factor that plays in the success of a lot of these players because when you get to this level, it’s hard. You can have a lot of success in college, but it's hard up here. The competition is different, the grind, all the standards – it’s hard. It’s pressure. So, sometimes you can just have some days where you might not feel like doing that extra (work), you get late in the season, ‘Man, I’ve got to get up early again and go to the weight room and get treatment.’ It gets hard. Guys that will grind through and persevere – grit’s all over this place. The adversity piece is a big deal for us and a lot of the guys that we’ve acquired, they’ve had good stories about persevering through.”

On the logjam at the cornerback position: “Why do you call it a logjam? It’s healthy competition.”

On if there is a cornerback on the roster that he envisions moving inside: “Terrion (Arnold) has played inside and out, Ennis (Rakestraw Jr.) has played inside and out. It’s funny you brought that up. Me and (Lions Head Coach) Dan (Campbell) were talking this morning, or early afternoon, about the potential of another corner being the best player and us taking another corner. We talked about that. We didn’t know it was going to happen, but we talked about that, and we know that these guys were – it’s not just, ‘Oh, we’ve got outside corner.’ No, they’re DBs. Like, they’re DBs – they’re versatile. They can play outside, they can play inside. These guys can play special teams if they’re not starting or playing. That’s the beauty of all of it. There’s guys that we thought could play nickel and safety, and it’s like, ‘No, we have a safety, we have a nickel,’ but there’s nothing wrong with adding another one. The versatility component is big for us and it’s kind of the approach that it was last year too, when we got E-Man (Emmanuel Moseley) and (Cam) Sutton and CJ (Gardner-Johnson) and all those guys. It wasn’t about just fitting those DBs in boxes, it was just the versatility in getting smart, gritty DBs.”

On what intrigued him about bringing in Passing Game Coordinator/Defensive Backs Deshea Townsend and newly-selected CBs Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw Jr.: “Well, obviously got a lot of respect for Deshea in terms of I know he was a good player in the League, has been coaching a lot in this League. I used to see Deshea at pro days a lot. I’ve never worked with him, but you can kind of tell the passion a coach has, how much he puts into that drill-work, and how he works with those kids. So, I’ve always had a lot of respect for him from afar. A lot of places he’s (gone), he’s shown that he can develop DBs and put out good DB play. But to get Townsend and then get these two corners, which again, those were our top-ranked guys, it was kind of the perfect storm that just all came together. It doesn’t always line up that way. Obviously, we could have gone with other positions that you guys have rattled off in the past, but it just happened to work that way. I think Deshea was telling me that he still wanted some more. You said logjam, but he was still asking for some more.”

On if he can explain the meaning of his ‘Positional Villain’ hoodie: “I mean, I don’t think I’ve ever released kind of what villain really means, so we’ll still keep that in-house. Just the positional part – I got hit with positional value last year. It’s just a little spin on it.”

On the uniqueness of the long gap between picks and if he is willing to use future assets to trade back up: “I’ll consider anything if the player’s right. It’s funny – going into today, I kind of went into today thinking we’re just going to sit there at No. 61 and stay pat and see what falls to us, but we were actually making calls trying to get up into the high 30s and 40s. I kind of woke up with kind of an aggressive mindset and there were some dudes still up there that we really liked and we were just trying to get them. But then you’ve also got to look at, OK, these resources that you allocate to move up and the future capital and all that, we also have meetings about, ‘OK, what’s that going to look like when this time comes next year?’ Or ‘What’s that going to affect what we might have to do in the future?’ I try to be very, very mindful of not being a prisoner of the moment, and it seems like every single year there’s going to be a Day Two Darling that you’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, I really want (him),’ and sometimes you’ve got to catch yourself. Last year, it was (Sam) LaPorta. It’s always going to be that personnel – we had that pick to acquire him, but you’ve got to just be disciplined from that standpoint and kind of go through the consequences if there are any for what those move-ups can mean for the future.”

On if he has someone in the draft room keeping him in check on potential moves: “There’s really not some specific get-back person, but the communication and dialogue of our internal group is very healthy and it helps put a lot because someone might point something out about, ‘Well, if this happens, if you do this, than this, that, that, that and that could come about.’ Some things that I’ve already thought about, but I’ve come to peace with, and I say, ‘Yeah, I get it, but let’s go ahead and do it because it’s for the betterment of the now and we can survive in the future.’ Or sometimes it’s a point that’s brought up that says, ‘That’s going to hurt us too much in the future.’ You guys have heard me talk about the marshmallow experiment, so sometimes you’ve got to just embrace that delayed gratification a little bit.”

On if the hoodies were his idea for the draft room: “You think this would be my idea? I can’t tell everything. We are looking for villains, but I got tipped off on what positional value was. I didn’t know what that was. I didn’t know what it was, so when you guys showed me, I was like, ‘Oh, wow.’ And then I thought about it, and I was like, ‘Positional value is like – so you pick a position but not the player.’ I was thinking like, ‘No, you’re looking for football players.’ So, you’re looking for these guys. But it doesn’t matter, so it’s more positional villain.”

On him not hearing the term ‘positional value’ before: “No, I haven’t. I mean I understand the term, like, ‘Oh, well you want to get a quarterback over whatever.’ Like, I understand that, but I didn’t know that it was a thing where you would draft a position regardless of the player, because I think that’s very easy. Just like I talked about it with free agency in the spring. You can win the headlines in March and April and all that stuff. That’s easy to draft whatever the premium positions are – quarterback and edge rusher and tackle and those positions. Say you draft only those positions, but they’re not contributing to your football team. So, did you win the Draft? Did you win the Draft because you drafted those positions? But they’re not contributing to your football team. Or do you draft the best football players that contribute to your football team that make you a better football team? We’re trying to draft football players that contribute and make us a better football team versus just those. When I heard it in that light, just, ‘Draft this position,’ that’s the part that I really couldn’t come to grips with. I really didn’t understand it.”
 

LIONS SECOND-ROUND DRAFT SELECTION (NO. 61 OVERALL) CB ENNIS RAKESTRAW DRAFT DAY 2 QUOTE SHEET

On the emotions he and his family are feeling after getting drafted and how surprised he was that the Lions picked him after picking Lions CB Terrion Arnold in the first round: “The first part of the question, my emotions were all over the place because I didn’t know what to expect. Everybody waits for the phone call to be made. So, it was just a lot of waiting anxious and watching players go by, just really anxious. So, I was extremely proud and grateful for the moment. I’m glad I got to talk to (Lions Head) Coach (Dan Campbell). I got an understanding. The Arnold situation, me and Arnold actually were on our Top 30 visit together, so it was great to actually get to know him a little bit better now because he seems like a cool dude, chill dude who can – and his drive and determination are what the Lions want and I feel like my drive and determination are what they want as well. So, we’re just trying to get to work as soon as possible.”

On how he and Lions CB Terrion Arnold were paired together on their Top 30 Visit and how they interacted with each other that day: “My vision, I didn’t know Arnold was there until I got in the car. And, obviously, you know we’re SEC guys, so SEC knows each other a lot, so we were talking. I saw him at the Combine. We chopped it up at the Combine and when we were there it was just a lot of laughs. We – at that point, this was a journey. It wasn’t our final destination, but we just enjoyed it and every moment of that.”

On what he looks forward to learning from Lions CBs Emmanuel Moseley and Carlton Davis III: “Everything as possible, anything that they can help me with as a player because they’re vets. Those guys have been there, done that. They’re good at what they do, so I just have to learn as much from them as possible and apply it to my game.”

On how he describes his game as a cornerback: “I call myself the ‘Tone-setter.’ My defense used to call me the firecracker of the team, because yeah, I’m a corner, but I’ll come up and set that edge. I’ll hit you like a linebacker and I just let my presence be felt every play that I’m out there.”

On if he pegged himself as a fit for the Lions and how his perspective changed after Lions CB Terrion Arnold was selected in the first round: “Yeah, it was up in the air. And during the process I thought – it was just one of my visits with them and I liked how (Lions Head) Coach (Dan Campbell) is, Coach Campbell, his philosophy and the (Lions Defensive) Coordinator (Aaron Glenn)’s philosophy about physicality. I feel like that’s what I brought, so I felt like it was a great fit. Terrion, I didn’t think he would fall that low in the Draft, so it was kind of crazy to see, but they picked up a great corner and I’m just happy to be a part of it. So, I was kind of shocked that they picked me, but now I’ve got to make them right.”

On the value of having Lions Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn and Lions Passing Game Coordinator/Defensive Backs Coach Deshea Townsend as his teachers: “I feel like that will elevate my game a lot more than it’s already been because they’ve been there, done that. And they’re – they’re player-coaches. All of them in the building, when I walked around, that was one unique thing that I saw in the Lions organization, there’s a whole bunch of talented coaches who once were players, so they know the ins and outs of both worlds.”

On how much pride he takes in being able to leave the Missouri football team better than when he first arrived: “That was the whole goal for me. I decided to go to Missouri – the reason I went there is because I wanted to go to a program that wasn’t already built up. My high school wasn’t already built up, so I just went back on my training. We worked hard, we showed grit and then my senior year, my last two years of high school, we turned it around. I’m happy I got the job done in Missouri. I was just one small piece. I wasn’t the main piece, we all were the main pieces. We all split it all even. We bled together, we sweat and we almost passed that on stadiums together, so that was a team effort.”

On if he had been to Detroit prior to his Top 30 Visit and what he knows about the city: “That was my first time actually being in Detroit. I’m a guy where I grew up kind of like we never traveled, we never left the state. The only time that I left the state was during football, so that was my first time actually seeing it. But now that I’m a Lion, I guess I can explore the city a lot more now.”

On the pair he thinks he and Lions CB Terrion Arnold can be for the future: “A force to be reckoned with. We’re going to fit the culture. We’re going to leave it like how we found – better than we found it, or even as much as we found it. They’ve already established their DNA which was – almost close to being in the Super Bowl. It’s already there, we’re just happy to learn from those guys and keep the train moving.”

On how much he needs to work on his ball skills to earn more interceptions than the one he had in his collegiate career: “You’re never a complete player, so you can always work on everything. For me, ball skills are – I had one interception, so you can say that’s not ball skills, but the PBUs that I make, you can tell that I’m judging the ball. Some of the passes in the air, you still have to judge it. There’s never been a time where I jumped too early or anything. It’s just me needing to be on the jugs a little bit more. Some of my PBUs could’ve been interceptions when I watched film so just fixing my technique and staying sharp. And as I do that, I feel like I’m going to have more interceptions. I’m going to be more effective in the League than when they ask me for the game that I was in college because now I know exactly what I need to work on, and I’ve been working with a trainer who has been helping me with my movements.”

On at what point he knew he had what it took to make it in the NFL and how much motivation he still carries with himself going back to that time: “So, going into my senior year, I wasn’t let in the Under Armour All-American Camp. I was at the gate, Coach was supposed to let me in, but then he came back and said some of the guys said I don’t look like a Power Five athlete because I was so small. I called my mom, my mom picked me up. I cried in the car, and I put an oath to myself that for the rest of this year, every four or five-star I face is going to feel me and I’m going to show them I’m that type of guy. And I did that and got to this point. There’s always going to be a chip on my shoulder, I was born with it.”

On what goes through his mind when he is on an island guarding a wide receiver: “It’s me versus you, who wants to win, my family is on the line and all the stuff that they talk you up about, that’s not me. You have to show them.”

On how he felt after being turned away from the Under Amour All-American Camp: “OK, so, I actually was in Lawrence – I was in, yeah, University of Kansas on an unofficial visit. One of my teammates had an offer, but I went because they showed that they had interest in me. We got the call from my coach and said that they wanted both of us to go to the Under Armour All-American Camp, so we drove back that night straight there, so that’s probably like four hours away. I got there, they turned me around, so it was kind of like, ‘Man, we drove all the way here and he’s the only one that got to go.’ So, I felt like it was a slap in my face and showed me that I needed to work a little bit harder because nobody believed in me. In the offseason, I just worked a day of extra reps. I just changed my whole mentality of a player.”

On how he changed in order to be considered a top prospect after being turned away from the Under Armour All-American Camp: “See, I was always a smaller guy, so I was like 139 pounds. My senior year, I was like 150-154 pounds, so I got a little bit bigger. But it really was just – I was the number one corner at my school now, so I’m – obviously, Texas has the best football, 6A. I had to guard some top receivers who even were draft picks or five-stars, player of the years and I shut them down and I feel like that’s when I started getting my credit and people started turning on the tape and actually knew that I was good besides looking at my size and just writing me off.”

On if he feels that people still write him off or if he has silenced most of his doubters: “I feel that I’m where I’m supposed to be in the Draft. Through my process, or whatever, I feel like I could have (gone) a lot earlier, but I can’t look at it that way. I’m in the best fit for me as possible. So, I’m going to just prove the Lions right and everybody else wrong.”

On Friday at 8:44 A.M., deputies from the Mecosta County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to a personal injury accident involving a car and carriage on Jefferson Rd. near 165th Ave.

The investigation showed that a 42-year-old female driver from Morley was traveling eastbound when she rear-ended an Amish carriage containing three occupants. The 71-year-old operator from Morley, along with 13-year-old and 46-year-old passengers from Ashland, Ohio, were all ejected from the carriage upon impact. 

All occupants of the carriage received minor non life-threatening injuries. The 46-year-old male from Ashland was transported to the Big Rapids Corewell Health Hospital for treatment. 

Deputies were assisted by Meceola Central Dispatch, Michigan DNR, Mecosta County EMS, and Morley Fire/Rescue.

The 89th annual National Football League Draft takes place this weekend in Detroit and former Ferris State University football standouts are hoping to hear their names called or be contacted as potential free agent pickups following the annual event.

The Bulldogs have several players who completed their eligibility this past fall, leading FSU to a nation-leading ninth consecutive playoff appearance and hoping to make the jump to professional football.

Defensive back Shon Stephens, defensive end Olalere Oladipo and wide receiver Xavier Wade are receiving the strongest attention. All have either spent the past several months training for an opportunity, taken part in pro day events or been pegged on various draft boards.

Former quarterback Mylik Mitchell has already started his pro career in the Indoor Football League while other alums such as defensive end Ian Hall and slot receiver CJ Jefferson have also been listed among players competing for training camp opportunities.

Several lists have Stephens featured among the top players in the small college ranks leading into the draft and tabbed as either a potential late round or preferred free agent pickup by various sources. He has drawn significant interest from NFL organizations. Both Wade and Oladipo have also garnered interest from professional football teams.

The NFL Draft will take place in Detroit this year and be aired across ABC, ESPN, and the NFL Network from Thursday to Saturday. The opening round begins on Thursday at 8 p.m. with rounds two and three set for Friday starting at 7 p.m. The final day will consist of rounds four thru seven on Saturday beginning at noon.

Six years ago, former defensive tackle Zach Sieler became Ferris State's first-ever NFL Draft choice when he was picked in the seventh round as the 238th overall selection by the Baltimore Ravens.

Overall, the Bulldogs have had 11 players in a NFL Preseason Camp over the past three summers, which is the most of any D2 school in the country.

The 'Dawgs who took part in NFL camps from 2021 to 2023 have included former DB Tavierre Thomas (Houston Texans), DL Zach Sieler (Miami Dolphins), DT Justin Zimmer (Buffalo Bills), WR Jake Lampman (New Orleans Saints), WR Malik Taylor (Green Bay Packers and New York Jets), DL Austin Edwards (Kansas City Chiefs), DT Chris Okoye (Los Angeles Rams), receiver Jared Bernhardt (Atlanta Falcons), offensive tackle Zein Obeid (Detroit Lions), offensive tackle Dylan Pasquali (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and defensive end Caleb Murphy (Tennessee Titans).

Four Bulldog alums are currently still with NFL organizations, including Thomas with Tampa Bay, Sieler with Miami, Taylor with the Jets, and Murphy with the Titans, which is among tops of all D2 schools.

Several Bulldog alums are also competing professionally in indoor and outdoor leagues.

The recent Bulldog alums in the NFL have also included former linebacker Brady Sheldon and former two-time Harlon Hill Trophy winner Jason Vander Laan.

Ten of the alums have played in at least one NFL regular-season game since 2016. Three former Bulldogs were part of team's that made the NFL Conference Championship Games in 2020 in Taylor, Zimmer and Edwards.

While Sieler is the only Ferris State football player to ever be drafted by an NFL team, several other former Bulldogs have inked NFL contracts as free agents and played in the league.

The Bulldogs had at least one NFL free agent pickup following the draft each of the past eight seasons in which they've played a campaign. Fifteen alumni have earned camp invites over the past five years as offensive tackle Devon Johnson and receiver Keyondre Craig also competed in training camps in 2019.

Over the past nine seasons, Sieler, Vander Laan, Sheldon, Zimmer, Thomas, Lampman, Taylor, Edwards, Bernhardt, and Murphy have all seen NFL regular-season action after Lampman became the first to do so in 13 years back in 2016.

Unofficially, nearly 30 former Ferris State players have inked NFL free agent deals.

Former defensive back Marvin Robinson inked with the Dallas Cowboys in 2014 with defensive tackle Marcus Cribbs signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2015. Those two represented the first since free agent cornerback Angelo Williams with the Minnesota Vikings in 2010.

In 2013, former defensive end Jordan Morgan received a rookie tryout with the New York Giants but did not sign. In 2016, Vander Laan, Lampman and Zimmer all signed and reached NFL camps while Sheldon did likewise in 2017 before Sieler, Thomas and Okoye joined NFL organizations in 2018. In 2019, the trio of Taylor, Johnson and Craig all were signed following the draft while Bernhardt, Obeid, and Pasquali garnered opportunities in 2022 followed by Murphy in 2023.

The select group also consists of running back Dave Gagnon (1974-Chicago Bears), outside linebacker Monty Brown (1997-New York Jets), defensive tackle Ed Philion (1994-Buffalo Bills), defensive end Dave Zuiderveen (2001-Atlanta Falcons), flanker Clarence Coleman (2002-Buffalo Bills), tackle Matt McCoy (2004-Detroit Lions), wide receiver Carlton Brewster (2006-Cleveland Browns) and defensive tackle Jake Visser (2009-Houston Texans).

Two other former Ferris State players, offensive guard Bill Bourdlais and safety Patrick Wells, received tryout invitations from the Cleveland Browns in 2008 and participated in the team's rookie minicamp, but did not ink a deal.

Others with NFL tryouts including wide receiver Andre Johnson (1989), quarterback Dave DenBraber (1987), tight end Scott Alward (1984-Detroit Lions/New York Giants) and receiver/returner Fred Kirkland (1981). Defensive back James Skodak (2006) also had tryouts with several NFL organizations among other past Bulldog standouts.

The Bulldog standouts awaiting the draft all played key roles this past fall in leading Ferris State to a ninth consecutive playoff berth this past fall and many were part of back-to-back NCAA Division II National Championship teams in 2021 and 2022. FSU also ranks as the country's winningest program over the past nine full seasons in D2 Football.

Bulldog NFL Fact List:

1 - Alum was chosen in the NFL Draft (Zach Sieler - 2018)

4 - Alums currently on NFL rosters

6 - Alums received NFL training camp invites in 2022

10 - Alums have played in NFL regular-season action since 2016

10 - Alums playing professionally in NFL, XFL or USFL in 2023

15 - Alums have earned NFL training camp invites since 2019

15 - Alums all-time have played in an NFL regular-season game

27 - Alums all-time have signed NFL free agent contracts

(Photo provided by Ferris State University).

LIONS EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER BRAD HOLMES DRAFT DAY 1 QUOTE SHEET

Opening Statement: “So obviously – I don’t want to say speechless, but overly thrilled with how tonight went. All these Drafts, you never know how it’s going to go. You know, you kind of got winds – we knew it was an offensive-heavy Draft, that’s what we did know. But we didn’t quite know was that those defenders would get pushed to that point, especially a guy like (Lions CB) Terrion (Arnold). But we couldn’t be more ecstatic or thrilled how it went.”

On what point they started to make calls about trading up when they saw Lions first-round draft selection CB Terrion Arnold was still available: “Yeah, I mean I was calling late teens. I was calling just trying to see. I didn’t think he was going to be there. Really, didn’t think he was going to be there calling late teens, but really trying and thinking we were going to have to settle for a different player at a different position but still trade up. But yeah, it wasn’t a whole lot of trade backs that early just because it kind of fell I think well for a lot of people. So, I’m still a little kind of – never thought he would be there, but we couldn’t be more thrilled.”

On if selecting Lions CB Terrion Arnold is a perfect combination of choosing the best available player while filling a need: “One hundred percent. It doesn’t always match up that way. I know you guys have heard me say a million times we don’t care what the position is, we just want to get the best football player, but it happened to match up with it’s the best football player and it was an area where we wanted to add one at some point. We didn’t know if we were going to be able to add one in the first round, and to be honest we weren’t really anticipating being able to add one in the first round. So, we just kind of thought we would be out of the mix for a lot of those guys, especially him. Especially him because he was our best – he was our highest-rated corner.”

On Lions CB Terrion Arnold’s ball production and if it could translate to the NFL: “Yeah, he’s sticky. He can play man coverage. The thing about Terrion, what’s great about him – some of these guys, they are what they are or you might say, ‘Well, the ceiling might not be as high.’ The thing about him is you go back to his ’22 film, you go back to earlier this season, and you saw an incremental improvement just every single game. So I think the first time I watched one of his games was I think it was the LSU game, that’s when I first kind of saw him and I was like, ‘OK, I see skillset.’ But then you start getting down – you start getting to those late games in the college football playoffs and you see him against Georgia and you’re like, ‘OK, it’s on the come.’ And that as well with the skillset. We feel really good about his floor, but we feel even better about his ceiling. We feel really good about the kid. We brought him in, we interviewed him. We brought him in, he’s got a big personality. He’s got a high ceiling. He’s a sticky corner. He’ll tackle. He’s got good size and length. He had a great workout when I went down to see him at his pro day. That was a game that I kind of wanted – I wanted to catch an Alabama game, but never was able to get there. We made a concerted effort to get to his pro day, and he had a great workout. Again, we’re just really thrilled with how it fell this way.”

On Lions CB Terrion Arnold’s physicality playing man-to-man: “Yeah, that’s not an issue. That’s not an issue. He’ll get in your face. He’s got a challenge mentality. He will tackle. He’s got the right mindset that we’re looking for. He fits us like a glove. He fits us to a tee exactly how we want to play. We couldn’t be (more) thrilled. Like you guys know, it’s kind of a – when guys don’t play hard, when guys aren’t physical, it’s hard to play here when those guys aren’t wired that way, but he’s one of those guys that are wired that way.”

On what he has learned about the Alabama program after selecting a player from the school three first-rounds in a row: “Yeah I mean look, I have so much respect for (former Alabama Head Coach) Nick (Saban) and everything that he’s done with that program. That’s one of those places where when I was a young southeast scout, you just go to Alabama and you just want to camp out there for a week because not only do they have really good players, but you knew the level of player you were getting and you saw the type of practices you were having and the information access. But ultimately, the coaching that they were already receiving, those guys practice hard. They practice intense. And so, you just kind of – I think I said it last year about not only about Alabama, but we got the two kids from Iowa last year. There are a lot of other schools I can say that about, like you know we’ve got Michigan right down the road. But when you pull kids out of those programs, you pretty much have a good feel. Not all of them are the same as a person, but you kind of know what they’ve already been through and you definitely know what kind of coaching they’ve had and you’ve seen them versus the highest level, and there’s really not a whole lot more to see. Again, I never thought it would have worked out like that with the continuous Bama to Bama to Bama, but I’m not surprised either because we knew how we wanted to build our football team, and those guys have been a stalwart powerhouse in the top college football conference for a very long time. Again, Saban, you see him in practice. He spends a lot of time with his DBs every time I’ve been to practice, an Alabama practice. Again, it gives you a little higher-level comfort.”

On what he learned about how Lions CB Terrion Arnold is wired through the pre-Draft process: “Yeah, he’s got a lot of energy. A lot of energy. Again, he’s got a challenge mindset. He’s got a challenge mentality. He’s got the physicality. I mean, he’s gritty. And he’s still developing, that’s the thing about him. He’s still growing and he’s still getting better. That’s what you kind of love about him. He is a corner. I don’t want to say he’s a flashy guy, he’s a big personality, but in a good way. I think you guys will enjoy him. He’s got a great smile. He’s got a lot of energy. He’s got different interests. I know me and (Lions Head Coach) Dan (Campbell) enjoyed our time spent with him as well as all of our coaches. The mindset checked. That box was checked and obviously the player and the skillset checked. And as you guys know, it’s more than just the skillset for us. That’s the easy part. That’s the easy part to see if someone is athletic, if someone can run fast, can change directions. You can do that day one. It’s like how’s a guy wired, and we felt good about that.”

On how close the group of top cornerbacks was in his mind and what set Lions CB Terrion Arnold apart: “Yeah, just – again, this is the great thing about the Draft. It’s 31 other rankings and boards. We had a pretty let’s call it ‘significant’ line underneath him to the next guy in our opinion. It wasn’t – we didn’t really have a lot of guys that were up there even in that first round bucket at that position, but he was one of the small few that was even up there in consideration for us. But it was a line.”

LIONS 2024 FIRST-ROUND DRAFT SELECTION (24^TH OVERALL) DB TERRION ARNOLD DRAFT DAY 1 QUOTE SHEET

On his confidence and what he can bring to the Lions defense: “I’m a shut-down corner. So, I’m coming in to guard (wide) receiver ones off the rip. I feel like I was already coming in with a chip on my shoulder just based on the Draft, and how everything was going. On top of that, (Lions Executive Vice President and General Manager) Brad (Holmes), he traded up to get me. And that means a lot to me, so I’m going to go out there and I’m going to show why he did it.”

On if he had a sense that the Lions drafting him was a realistic possibility: “Yeah, of course. Even talking to guys like (Lions DB) Brian Branch. I was like, ‘If I can get united with you in the secondary again, it would be elite,’ because playing with him at Alabama, it was fun. We played off each other, fed off each other, and I’m just glad I get to do it again. As far as competing against guys like (Lions WR) Jameson Williams, being with guys like (Lions RB) Jahmyr Gibbs, it means everything to me, man. Those are my brothers. It’s something special going on here in Detroit. I feel like they just need to take that one extra step, and I think we could do it this year.”

On what it was like to get drafted in Detroit tonight: “It was ecstatic, man. I grabbed the mic, and I said I was home because I really meant it. Like, you could feel it. You could feel the crowd, the energy and I’m just ready to get in front of our fans. I feel like we’ve got the best fanbase in the NFL.”

On if he feels like the secondary is on solid ground with the offensive threats in the NFC North: “I’m ready. It’s just an opportunity to go out there and win Defensive Rookie of the Year. When you come in everybody knows when you are a rookie, you know teams are going to try you. It’s a great opportunity to just establish myself and show the fans I really am a crowd favorite. You sit up here, and you talk it, you’ve got to be able to back it up.”

On what makes him so good at forcing turnovers: “I am not looking to get PBUs. Anytime the ball is in the air I am looking to take it away. Not only am I looking to take it away, I am looking to score. You guys haven’t really seen my return ability, but just know when I get my first (turnover) one, if I am kind of on equal footing, it’s going to be a show, man. I can’t promise I’m going to score because I don’t want to sit up here and give false hope, but I promise you I’m not going down without a fight.”

On where he thinks he needs to develop and grow the most: “I feel I need to get stronger. With me just turning 21, obviously, I’m not even into my grown-man strength (yet). I’ve only been playing corner for two years. So, this year, I’m looking forward to taking the next leap in my game. I would have done the same thing if I was returning to college, but I am grateful I can do it in the NFL this year.”

On the biggest lesson he learned from his time at Alabama: “I just learned the importance of camaraderie and just having a great relationship with your teammates. You can’t call someone your brother if you don’t really know what they stand for, if you don’t know their family, or what motivates them. So, I learned how to interact with my teammates and figure out what pushes them and what drives them, and they learned the same thing about me.”

On his impressions of Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell and Lions Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn during his top 30 visits: “Sat in there with Coach Glenn, I said, ‘Coach, I would love to play for you. As far as being a cornerback, man, we’re going to be best friends,’ because he played the game. He knows what it’s like to run out of the tunnel, to feel the emotion. He’s going to make me a great player. He’s going to coach me hard. And then Coach Dan, as far as a coach, man, he’s a great guy, man. Gets the best out of his players. The first thing he told me, he was like, ‘Dude, your level of play speed, you have another gear that you could tap into. You’re only 21 years old. I think you’re one of the youngest players in the Draft. If we get the chance to have you, if the opportunity presents itself, we’re coming to get you.’ So, when they called me, I said, ‘It’s go time, Coach.”

On Lions CB Carlton Davis being from Auburn: “I am the new kid on the block. All that college stuff goes out the window. We’re teammates. I’m ready to listen to him because obviously he’s been in the League. He’s been successful in the League and I’m eager to learn from him. I just pride myself on being humble, and obviously, if I don’t know anything, or if I’m in unchartered territory and someone wants to go out there and give me great advice, teach me how to be a professional, learn from him, I’m looking forward to doing that.”

On what it is about players from Alabama that makes them good pros and attracts them to the Detroit Lions: “Development, and the importance of winning, and the importance of competing. When you come to Alabama you have to change your mindset because it’s going to be a dogfight every day – as far as whether it’s practice, definitely the games because you’re going to get everyone’s best, and Coach (Nick) Saban pushed us to the limit every day and that’s what the Lions are trying to do. We’re trying to take that next step as far as winning that Super Bowl.”

LIONS PASSING GAME COORDINATOR/DEFENSIVE BACKS COACH DESHEA TOWNSEND DRAFT DAY 1 QUOTE SHEET

On if he worked picking a cornerback in the first round of the Draft into his contract: “Oh, man, that’s the one thing we always want is good competition. It makes everybody better, makes the room better, makes the building better, so he adds more competition to our room.”

On his first impressions of Lions first-round draft selection (24^th overall) CB Terrion Arnold and what he showed him in pre-Draft meetings as a person and player: “Well, one thing that he showed was just how smart he was. The type of competitive and just smart and understanding of football were some of the things that stood out right away. His understanding of the scheme, the things they did at Alabama, how he was able to have some position flexibility, all those. You saw that when you talked to him and then you just saw his personality. You got a chance to kind of understand how he wants to compete, how he loves to compete and that’s one of the most important things to be a really good pro, is have that competitive nature.”

On the attributes Lions CB Terrion Arnold needs to have to be successful in the NFL: “Oh, man, he’s a corner. That’s one thing you’ve got to have – you’ve got to have confidence. You’ve got to be borderline cocky, but you’ve got to be humble at the same time. And he is – he is a kid that has confidence, but having that confidence, he understands that he has to work, and that’s the one thing I felt from him when I talked to him.”

On what he saw on film from Lions CB Terrion Arnold and his ability to get takeaways: “Yeah, no that’s one of the most important things that I look at is when we’re watching a corner is can he track and locate? Can he take the ball away? That’s one thing that you want to have the ability to do is be able to find the ball when you’re in phase and go create turnovers. And that’s always good when you can do it. But his ability, naturally find the ball is something that he has.”

On the first things he does as a coach to help a young cornerback in his transition into the League: “I just – the biggest thing is just getting that foundation or technique. I always try to find home base when things don’t go right and then having the short-term memory, not panicking, not being that type of person that when something goes wrong, that you go into a hole or to a tank. You’ve got to stay here, especially at corner. You’ve got to be able to go play. It’s not always going to go perfect, but we want to have more wins than losses and that’s the one thing that I always try to make sure my guys understand is we’ve got to keep playing. No matter how it goes, we’re going to finish it the right way and he has that mentality. Just making sure that his foundation is right, making sure his technique is sound and we’ve always got some home base to go back to when things get a little bit shaky.”

On if he was rooting for Lions CB Terrion Arnold to be the Lions’ first pick or if he wanted a different pick: “Well, I’ll say this, every coach in the building selfishly wants all the players they can get. But when you have a guy like that, that’s kind of – other teams pick who they want, but when you see one of your top players is still there, it always makes it exciting to have an opportunity to get him and when we saw the trade come in, we’re not in the room with the head coach and the GM, so we kind of looking who is it and we had an opportunity to see who it was, so it was a nice feeling.”

A team of assessors from the Michigan Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission (MLEAC) will arrive on Thursday, May 9, 2024, to examine all aspects of the Big Rapids Police Department’s policies and procedures, management, operations, and support services Chief Danielle Haynes announced yesterday.

“Verification by the team that the Big Rapids Police Department meets the Michigan Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission’s “best practice” standards is part of a voluntary process to achieve accreditation, a highly prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence”, Chief Haynes said.

As part of this final On-Site Assessment, employees and members of the public are invited to provide comments to the Assessment Team. They may do so by telephone or email. The public may call 231-527-0018 on May 10, 2024, between the hours of 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM. Email comments can be sent to brpdcomments2024@bigrapidsdps.org.

Telephone comments are limited to five (5) minutes and must address the agency’s ability to comply with the Commission’s standards. A copy of the standards is available for inspection at the Big Rapids Department of Public Safety, 435 N. Michigan Ave. Please contact Sgt. Liz West, Accreditation Manager at 231-527-0005 ext. 1218.

Anyone wishing to offer written comments about the Big Rapids Police Department’s ability to comply with the standards for accreditation is requested to email the Accreditation Program manager at rwiles@michiganpolicechiefs.org or write the Michigan Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission at 3474 Alaiedon Pkwy, Suite 600, Okemos, MI 48864.

The Big Rapids Police Department must comply with 108 standards to achieve accredited status. Chief Haynes indicated, “Accreditation results in greater accountability within the agency, reduced risk and liability exposure, stronger defense against civil lawsuits, increased community advocacy, and more confidence in the agency’s ability to operate efficiently and respond to community needs.”

The Accreditation Program Director for the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police is Chief Ron Wiles (Ret.). “The assessment team is composed of law enforcement practitioners from similar Michigan law enforcement agencies. The assessors will review written materials, interview agency
members, and visit offices and other places where compliance with the standards can be observed.

Once the assessors complete their review of the agency, they will report to the full Commission, which will then decide if the agency is to be granted accredited status”, Ron Wiles stated.

Accreditation is valid for a three-year period during which time the agency must submit annual reports attesting to their continued compliance with those standards under which it was initially accredited.

The MACP, through its Michigan Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission, is the legitimate authority and accreditation agency in the state of Michigan. For more information regarding the Michigan Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission, please write the Commission at: MACP, Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission at 3474 Alaiedon Pkwy, Suite 600, Okemos, MI 48864, or email at rwiles@michiganpolicechiefs.org.

Please contact Officer William Sell with any questions. He can be reached at 231-527-0005 ext. 1036 or wsell@bigrapidsdps.org.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) will begin providing payments this fall to hospital birthing units fully participating in the Michigan Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (MI AIM) that have committed to participating in the Joint Commission Maternal Levels of Care (MLoC) Verification Program. 

Hospitals can be reimbursed for the costs associated with MLoC verification, including the annual fee and on-site visit fees, in addition to receiving a lump sum payment for participation in both programs. The program is being funded by $9 million in general fund dollars and funds will be released to all participating hospitals in September.

Supporting Michigan birthing hospitals is critical as we work to save lives during pregnancy and the postpartum period,” said Elizabeth Hertel, MDHHS director. “MDHHS’ strategic vision seeks to achieve zero preventable deaths and zero health disparities. This innovative program supports that goal through hospital implementation of patient safety bundles and risk-appropriate care for pregnant and postpartum people.”

From 2011-2020, 172 women died of pregnancy-related causes in Michigan, and in 2021 the severe maternal morbidity (SMM) rate was 100 events per 10,000 inpatient delivery hospitalizations. Hypertensive disorders and hemorrhage are leading causes of pregnancy-related maternal mortality in Michigan. However, these tragedies impact Michigan families inequitably. From 2016-2020, Black women were 2.2 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women.   

MI AIM is a quality initiative program dedicated to improving the culture of maternal safety by decreasing preventable severe maternal morbidity and mortality through the implementation of early recognition patient safety bundles, sets of practices that improve the quality of care provided during delivery and in the postpartum period. MI AIM has helped hospitals achieve a 54.5% improvement in hemorrhage-related SMM and a 15.4% improvement in hypertension-related SMM since the adoption of the MI AIM program in 2016.  

The Joint Commission Maternal Levels of Care Verification Program provides hospitals with an independent, external evaluation of their organization’s maternal health expertise, equipment and resources. This assessment allows for risk-appropriate care of pregnant and postpartum people, reducing the risk of poor maternal outcomes. 

Birthing hospitals wishing to learn more can visit MI AIM’s Maternal Levels of Care website or The Joint Commission’s Maternal Levels of Care Verification website.  

Ferris State University is installing new signage today, Apr. 25, around its Big Rapids Campus. Traffic will be a factor during this installation procedure.

Drivers can expect northbound traffic on State St. near Cedar St. to be reduced to a single lane between 9:30 A.M. and 11:00 A.M. Both lanes will be reopened after 11:00 A.M.

Workers will be on site in front of the roadside streets during this time  as far north as the Williams Auditorium all the way down south across from McDonalds.

For details on the location, view the maps attached below.

(Maps provided by the City of Big Rapids).

Monday, April 15

• An officer investigated a complaint of found property, where the items were related to a case in Mecosta County.

• An officer assisted the Big Rapids Department of Public Safety with locating a subject that was a person of iinterest.

Tuesday, April 16

• An officer was dispatched to a city business regarding a harassment issue.

• An officer conducted a traffic stop for a vehicle that failed to stop at a stop sign.

Wednesday, April 17

• No incidents reported.

Thursday, April 18

• An officer took a report of a possible assault. The case is still under investigation.

• An officer responded to a call regarding a verbal domestic dispute.

• Officers conducted two traffic stops for vehicles failing to stop at stop signs.

Friday, April 19

• While patrolling, an officer found a town business door unlocked. The keyholder was notified and the building was secured.

Saturday, April 20

• An officer assisted another department with a traffic investigation, where the driver was arrested for operating while intoxicated.

• An officer checked on a subject walking on the side of the road. Through investigation, it was determined that the subject was fine and was walking to work.

• Officers conducted several traffic stops for various violations.

Sunday, April 21

• An officer investigated a fraud complaint involving a 54-year-old male victim.

• An officer investigated a car/deer accident.

• An officer responded to a domestic assault complaint that resulted with the arrest of a 55-year-old male.

• An officer responded to a call regarding a noise complaint.

• An officer assisted a family with an incorrigible juvenile.

More than 200 teenage competitors will converge on Ferris State University’s Swan Technical Arts Building Friday, May 3 as a 20th State Secondary Welding Competition and a fourth year of contests for student machinists will be held in laboratories of the School of Manufacturing and Design.

This is the 40th anniversary of Ferris’ Welding Engineering Technology Bachelor of Science degree program, which is the largest of its kind in the nation.

Professor and Welding Engineering Technology coordinator Jeffrey Carney is an alumnus and co-founder of the welding competition. 

He points out more than 100 graduates of Ferris State’s Bachelor of Science degree in Welding Engineering Technology participated in these categories as high schoolers.

“Our goal in this competition is to see every student guest gets full exposure to our facilities, along with complimentary gifts made possible through collaborative efforts of Ferris’ Academic Affairs office, the College of Engineering Technology and very supportive industry partners,” Carney said. “It is a pleasure to see t-shirts given out in past years worn into our labs by students whose first campus visits came about in this competition. Ferris scholarships are also available to champions of our competition.”

Carney said judges assess skills in five welding processes, with more than 140 students from 35 schools, intermediate districts or regional educational service agencies set to participate this year. 

Manufacturing Engineering Technology Program Coordinator Mark Rusco said more than 60 students from 16 institutions will test their abilities in milling, working with grinders or lathes, or metrology, the practice of precision measurement.

“Industry sponsors donate tools that are distributed to our guests, helping with short-term learning and when they return as Ferris students,” Rusco said. 

He said because the demand for machinists is so strong, sponsors will staff tables to recruit prospects that day for their own training programs and career opportunities. 

“There will be teachers on hand who have brought students each year of the competition, some whose relationships with Ferris go back several decades,” Carney said. “We are glad to help supply their labs with materials to continue their learning and knowledge of the skills their students can master by pursuing Associate or Bachelor of Science degrees in the field.”

A $30 million renovation and expansion of the Swan Technical Arts Building was completed in 2018, accentuating world-class instructional and laboratory facilities for several College of Engineering Technology programs.

Angela (Prater) Mensah, an alumna of Ferris State University’s Television and Digital Media Production program, was recognized for her efforts to empower students through a service-learning designated course.

Mensah received the Pedagogy Award from the Activism and Social Justice division of the National Communication Association, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization established in 1914 with membership including educators, practitioners, and students in every state.

Mensah earned a Bachelor of Science degree in what had been Ferris’ Television and Video Production program in 1996. She is a teaching assistant professor in Communications and a joint faculty member of African and African American studies and communication at the University of Arkansas.

Her course, Communicating Body Image, was one of five selected from a field of entries for a National Communication Association honor.

“My course is a social justice-directed work, and I applied though at that time, I had only offered it for one semester at the university,” Mensah said. “I went into this, hoping I might get an honorable mention but am thrilled to have been recognized with this selection.”

A faculty peer with the University of Arkansas was asked by a Washington County, Arkansas court staffer if there was a course appropriate to present to young women at risk. 

Mensah said graduate students aware of the Communicating Body Image course assisted in creating modules appropriate for those students, while offering them mentorship as part of a service-learning opportunity.

Angela said there was much work needed to complete supporting documents for consideration from the National Communication Association.

“The topic of body image has many ‘hot button’ considerations, ranging from providing medication to adolescents, or approving them for bariatric surgery,” Mensah said. “Having the resources and support of body image experts Lexi and Lindy Kite is intentional, so our participants have tools to serve them for every state of their lives.”

The partnership was developed in greater Fayetteville with community groups and organizations is designed to empower the participants.

“Theirs is a difficult time of life, where learning and encouragement might keep them from entering self-destructive behaviors. Ultimately, we are striving to be an element of a transformative opportunity for all involved,” she said.

As a Pedagogy Award winner, Mensah will serve in the field of judges considering submissions for the 2024 cycle of consideration.

Opening Statement: “Just want to start off by thanking everybody that’s been involved in this process up to this point, our entire personnel department. Look, when I say personnel, it’s not just scouts. That’s football information, football tech, our ops support, everybody. It’s really been all-hands-on-deck. I want to thank our area scouts. Those guys did a great job. I thought that we had our best April meetings since we’ve been here, that’s kind of when they tie the bow up on all the work that they’ve done throughout the whole year. I thought it was awesome. I wanted to highlight (Lions Director of College Scouting) Brian Hudspeth, our college director. This was his first full-time year in this role. I thought he did a great job leading and organizing and everything that comes along with being in that role. The rest of our execs, (Lions Assistant General Manager) Ray Agnew, (Lions Senior Personnel Executive) John Dorsey, (Lions Director of Scouting Advancement) Mike Martin, (Senior Advisor, Player Personnel Operations/Strategic Initiatives) Don Corzine, those guys are key cogs in this process and in extremely critical roles. So, appreciate everything that they did. I wanted to thank (Lions Head Coach) Dan (Campbell), the entire coaching staff. They play a huge part in our process, very critical roles as well, so appreciate all their time and effort in it. We’re in a good spot right now.”

On the challenge of having a later first-round Draft pick for the first time in his Lions tenure: “Yeah, you’ve just got to keep wrapping your head around it. You’re kind of looking at a different level of player. It’s just – it is what it is. I don’t want to say it’s any less pressure because you’ve got to get every single pick right as well, at least that’s the standard that we hold ourselves to whether it’s at 29 or it’s been at seven or six or two or all those things. So we just take the same approach, but I don’t see it as any more or less pressure. I just think it’s probably, I don’t know, maybe less heralded. I don’t know if people are even still hanging around or even remembering who picked 31. It kind of seems like everyone is just kind of celebrating one through 15 or something. But we just kind of stick to the same process. You’ve just got to get your head around the players, and we’ve been doing this long enough to know like, ‘Alright, we’re probably not going to be in the mix on some of those guys.’ And that’s something that I picked up when we were in LA and did not have even a first-round pick for a long time, so you kind of expedite the guys you think you can be looking at.”

On the philosophy of trading up and giving up draft picks to select a specific player: “It’s a good question. First of all, it’s got to be the right guy. You guys see this, how we’ve operated in the past. If it’s the player that we want, we’re just going to go and get them. There are a lot of boxes that need to be checked. I think we kind of said it a little bit at the end of the season, everybody can’t play here. It’s got to be identified. That player has to be identified as, ‘OK, he’s checked all those boxes. He’s the right pick and he’s the right fit.’ Also, it’s just how high you’re talking. Is it way high? Is it just a few spots? Either one, obviously when you trade up for a player you identified him. But me and (Lions Head Coach) Dan (Campbell) have been saying from day one, it just has to be the right fit. There are going to be some talented players that you all have been looking at in mock drafts and stuff that just may not be good fits, and that’s OK and we’re fine with that. But look, if it’s a guy we really want, we’ll definitely make an effort if it makes sense. It just sometimes might not make sense. You’ve got to look at what you’re giving up. It’s a good question you brought up of where the roster’s at. You’ve got to look at expiring contracts coming up, and it’s just a lot that goes into it, but it’s a good question.”

On balancing building through the Draft with how much they want to maximize the window of success they have now: “Yeah, I don’t really base it off of windows really. Again, it’s just how much of an impactful player do you want to get. I’m just trying to think – look, if there was a – I think I told you guys last year we had what, six and 18 originally? We were looking to trade up from 18 if we stayed how it stayed. That didn’t really depend on the window that we were in or anything, it’s just that those were some players that we really, really wanted to have, and that’s just kind of what we had in mind that that was going to be the plan. It kind of worked out a little bit differently, you have to be prepared for everything. I understand the question because you’re like, ‘OK, the roster’s at a certain point. OK, you guys should be contenders headed into the season so OK, how do you operate this way?’ But again, I just think if we keep improving every single year through doing it in our process, that’s what we’ve been doing and that’s what we’ll continue to do. I think when you start getting into that, ‘We’ve got this window, we’ve got this, so we’ve got to pivot,’ that’s when I think you kind of get into a little bit of trouble.”

On how this year’s cornerback class ranks among years’ past: “It’s a solid group. I don’t think it’s really far from – I think I made a comment just the other week, just kind of looking at the whole class, I think it’s very normal of previous drafts in terms of the guys that I think probably are true legit Day 1 guys or Day 2 guys. So, I think it’s pretty normal. Again, they’re always different, but in terms of numbers of guys that are in those top rounds, I think it’s very similar.”

On the potential of trading out of the first round with the unique dynamics of being in front of Lions fans while the Draft is in Detroit : “Look, that’s a fair question. Look, we have to do the right thing for the organization. If it makes sense and it lines up and it’s the right thing to do, then we have to do the right thing. Say that happens where the fans have been waiting there all night for this pick and we get an offer that we can’t really turn down and makes sense, we’ve got to do the right thing and hopefully our fans will forgive us. Now, we won’t expect immediate forgiveness right then and there, but hopefully when the season starts and that player that we end up selecting they’re like, ‘OK, alright. We can kind of get past that.’ But no, I totally understand that. Obviously with the fans there – first of all, I’m so excited about the Draft being in Detroit. I really am. It’s just another opportunity for our franchise, our city, just for the world to kind of migrate to downtown Detroit. We have a lot of – we have multiple major NFL markets that are within driving distance. I expect it to be pretty packed. I’m excited for the local businesses. I just think it’s going to be really exciting. All that being said, I know the perfect storm is, OK get to the pick, stage area, they’ve been waiting all night, you make the pick and everybody’s happy. But if it’s the best thing for the organization, you’ve got to do what’s right. I’ll just do a PSA public apology later and we’ll roll.”

On if he considers this to be a strong Draft class and where it ranks among the previous three classes he has seen in Detroit: “Yeah, that’s a good question. I thought this Draft was a little bit more normalized. Last year, I don’t want to say weaker Draft, but there were less guys that you would have as true first-round prospects last year. I thought this year was more kind of like previous years before the ’23 Draft. But I still think it’s a good class. I think the other component is more guys that are not coming out. It’s because of the college landscape has changed, so outside of just the COVID deal with guys who have had more experienced and are a little bit older, it’s a lot of players that we’ve looked at that we thought were going to come out that ended up not declaring. I think that’s a big effect of what the college landscape is right now.”

On how they have been able to find as many Pro Bowlers through the Draft as they have: “I just think we make sure we’re convicted on every single pick. You guys have heard me say it, it’s no secret, it’s about the right football player. As long as we’re convicted on the football player, then you sleep good at night. That’s a lot of work that goes into being convicted on the right player. We just had (Top) 30 visits. We had medical meetings. There is a lot of stuff that’s like, ‘OK, this is the right guy.’ We’re still looking at tape now. It’s a lot that gets to that conviction. But as long as (Lions Head Coach) Dan (Campbell) and I are really aligned and convicted and we’re still like, ‘This guy fits,’ and not getting into the – I think at the Owners Meetings there were questions asked about like drafting an outside corner. No, we draft the right football player we’re convicted on. If the outside corner was the right football player we’re convicted on, then we would take that player. We don’t really get anchored on positions. We don’t really get anchored on windows. We don’t get anchored on – it’s just, there’s only one Draft every year. There’s a lot of work that goes into it, so that’s our recipe. We just kind of look for guys that we’re convicted on that are right fits for us and we don’t get into the premium positions and the – look, you can pick another position, and that doesn’t mean the guy’s the right fit. I know you guys were asking after the last Draft, ‘Well how come you guys didn’t pick another position?’ Well, it’s like, no it’s not another position, who? Which player? You don’t just pick a, whatever the premium position is. You don’t just pick a player because he plays that position. No, he has to be the right football player. That’s what we stuck to, and it’s worked so far for us.”

On if drafting for talent versus need changes as the roster has gotten better: “That’s a really good question because when we first got here, we had a ton of needs. So, we could go for the most talented guy, the guy that really fit the most. We could have gone in so many different directions, and that resulted in a lot of young players having to play early and (they) got a lot of experience. Really, with where the roster is now, I actually think you have even more flexibility to not be anchored into a need. Again, we try to do the best we can in free agency in terms of plugging holes and pulling out the depth chart and doing all of those things, and we feel that we did a great job in free agency and we’re in a position to go whichever direction that we want to go. I actually get more comfort of how the roster is now. It’s less of, ‘Oh, we really need this, we need depth here, we need that…,’ no. We’ve always said ‘best player,’ but it’s more emphasized now.”

On how much value there is to trade out of the late first round into the early second round and having time to reset the board: “It’s a really good question because it depends on a couple of factors. It’s, all right, you have a pool of players. Say you’re at your pick, we’re at No. 29, and you get an offer that gets you somewhere in the 30s early on in Day Two. If you’re pretty much convicted, ‘These are kind of the same players,’ regardless of position, you’re getting the same level of player. Is it a good starter or is it a developmental, high-upside backup? Whatever the case is, I’m happy with either one. I always go back to, ‘You get them in ranges.’ Don’t spend a lot of time arguing going to Grand Cayman or Turks and Caicos – you’re not going to be mad either way. When you’re happy with the decision of, ‘If we come away with any of these guys,’ you kind of do the math. You’re like, ‘OK, if we trade back here, some of these guys will be left, and we’ll be happy and we’re going to get some capital.’ Or, is it – you go back to that conviction conversation, ‘No, this is that guy that we have been convicted on. We’re not moving and we’re just going to stay put.’ Whatever extra capital you get on the backend, it’s really not worth it – let’s just go ahead and pick.”

On if the team has a foundational philosophy to build through the offensive line: “We’re firm believers that that’s where the game is won, and I’m sure you’ve heard that before. But that’s the foundation, that’s the core of our team. Yeah, there were some guys in place already, so there was less work that needed to be done. Now, the pieces that we’ve added with the guys that were previously here have just fortified it and made it even stronger, but again, you guys asked me – I think at the end of the season – that’s always going to be the utmost importance. That’s something that’s hard to overlook. I don’t care who you’ve got at quarterback. I don’t care if you have more of a pocket guy, a scrambler – I don’t care what it is. Offensive line, that’s critical. When you don’t have them, it can make life hard in a lot of different areas. We’ve had to do more work on the defensive side of the ball and there wasn’t a lot of pieces there when we got here, so we had to do a lot more work there. It’s always of the utmost importance and we feel really good about our offensive line now. We love what we did in free agency and I feel like we could line down and play now and be totally fine. If we do add somebody, it’s going to be hard to crack one of those big boys up front.

On if the COVID-19 realities and the transfer portal has made it easier for the team to identify prospects’ football character: “Everybody has a different plight, a different story. I’m meeting a lot of these kids and sitting down with them to hear their reasonings for their decisions. It’s been really fascinating because they’ve all been different. On the surface, I used to think just that. I was like, ‘Oh, well he wasn’t going…,’ but no, when you really hear what went through these kids’ decisions to jump into the portal, they’re all different and I respect them. It’s a lot more in depth in a lot of cases than I even thought.”

On how this receiver class compares to past Drafts and if there’s an opportunity for the Lions to add to their room: “I think it’s a solid receiver group. There’s some guys that should be able to contribute immediately. In terms of my opinion of strength, that’s always subjective. That’s what makes the Draft so fascinating, is what our Draft board is, there’s 31 other Draft boards and they may think that it’s not as good. We’ll just keep those to ourselves, but I do think there’s some receivers that will be able to contribute pretty early, I would think in this class.”

On how quickly a player is deemed as a Holmes and Campbell type of player: “Some of them, they declare themselves pretty early. I credit our area scouts. They do so much work on the front end, and the back end, they tee it up for us very, very well. And they kind of already have the kid nailed, really. And just say like, ‘Look, this is who this player is.’ And you might meet them and it lines up exactly. Some guys declare themselves pretty early. Some guys you sit down with at the Combine and it’s like, ‘Yep, this is exactly who the scout said that he was going to be and he knocked it out the park, boom, boom, boom.’ And some guys it might be a little different. Nothing on the scouts, but the kid might have been nervous. He didn’t really show his personality, and then we might bring him in for a 30 visit. We might spend time with him at a pro day or something and get to know him a little bit more. That’s happened in this process already just in some of these visits and some of these pro-day visits it’s been like, ‘Oh, wow, I feel a lot better about him being a fit here.”

On whether the new NFL kickoff rules have played a role in player evaluations: “Yeah, we’ve had a lot of discussions about that. I think we’re still in the exploratory stages in terms of a personnel standpoint. We have an idea of what we think is going to be the right fit. It has tweaked it a little bit, especially on the return aspect. You might be looking for a different kind of returner than you have been in the past, and vice versa on the other side, on your actual kickoff team. Trying to find your kickoff team, and your return unit, does that body type change, does that type of player change, does the movement skills change? So, we’ve had a lot of discussions on that. Obviously, you guys know special teams is high priority here, but I have all the faith in (Lions Head Coach) Dan (Campbell) and (Lions Special Teams Coordinator Dave) Fipp, that we’re going to have the right guys for it.”

On who on staff helps him keep a balanced perspective when making personnel decisions: “It’s probably harder than we maybe realize on the surface just because we try to lay out our process to avoid those anchors, really it’s probably more of the groupthink and the influence that is even a greater threat to our process. That’s just human nature. People naturally just want to be a part of the tribe. They want to get along. People naturally want to agree and be likeable. It takes work to go against the grain. It takes a lot of work. That’s why I have always had a lot of respect for the lone wolf. When we’re in there and everybody is saying, ‘Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes,’ and it’s some obvious prospect. It’s that one person in that room in that room that’s like, ‘I don’t.’ I’m like, ‘I want to listen to him or I want to listen to her.’ I want to listen to that person because that was the lone wolf. It takes a lot to be that lone wolf. I just have a lot of respect for that person. The anchors, we try to setup our process to avoid them, but again, it’s really the groupthink and group influence that is probably even more of a danger than those anchors.”

On how a lone-wolf opinion influences his personnel approach: “Sometimes I am the lone wolf. I might be the lone wolf. I’ll tell you, me and (Lions Head Coach) Dan (Campbell) were the lone wolves on a player that we took last year and it worked out. We loved the player. The rest of the group was like, ‘No, no, no, get this guy,’ at the same position. So, it may be something that you already knew and you got confirmation. So, if I am the lone wolf and everybody else is completely different than me, no one really knows what I think and I am listening to everybody, I am like, ‘Man, I need to go back and look. I missed something,’ and I have the confidence and the humility to do that because I have so much respect for the process. It’s an art form. The best thing about scouting is you get 20 people, 10 people, however many, looking at the same film in a dark room and you have 10 different opinions. That’s what’s awesome about it. So, when I am the lone wolf, and everybody is the opposite, I am like, ‘Man, I need to look back and see if I missed something.’ If hear the lone wolf that matched up with what I thought, I am like, ‘Well, at least that person saw it, but everybody else still was the same.’ It just depends – but if I saw something that the rest of the group said, and the lone wolf said something different, oh, damn right I am going to go back and look and see because that person is in the room for a reason and I have got a lot of respect for that person’s evaluations.”

On if he listens to everyone’s opinion on players before sharing his own: “Yes, basically.”

On if he will share who the prospect was from the 2023 Draft class that he and Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell were lone wolves: “No.”

Monday, April 8

• Larceny – Officers were dispatched to investigate a larceny of a registration plate that was removed from a trailer. The incident remains open at this time.

Tuesday, April 9

• Threats – Officers responded to a threats complaint. A subject used a phone to make threats towards the caller over a tv remote.
• Animal Complaint – Officers responded to a report of dogs at large. Upon officers arrival the dogs had been located and returned home. The incident was investigated and a report was forwarded to Prosecutor for review.
• Hit and Run – Officers responded to a local business for report of a hit and run accident. The report remains open at this time.

Wednesday, April 10

• Assist – Officers were dispatched for a trespassing complaint.  The subject agreed to leave without causing any further issues.

Thursday, April 11

• Alarm – Officers responded to a burglary alarm at a local business. The business was secured and it was determined to be a false alarm.

Friday, April 12

• VIN Check – Officers responded to a local business to check a VIN on an abandoned vehicle. Vehicle did not return stolen and was towed at the property owners request.

• Warrant Attempt – Officers assisted the Osceola County Sheriff’s Department with a warrant attempt. Subject was located and placed into custody without incident.

Saturday, April 13

• No incidents reported.

Sunday, April 14

• Assist – Officers responded to assist CPS with a child abuse investigation. The investigation remains open at this time.

• Fail to Pay – Officers responded to a local business for report of a fail to pay. Officers were able to locate the subject and the subject returned to the gas station to pay for the fuel. No further action needed.

• Domestic - Officers responded to a report of a domestic in progress. The incident was investigated a report was sent to the Prosecutor for review.

Monday, April 15

• Found Property – Officers were advised a bicycle was found on the edge of the road. The bike was brought to the Evart Police Department for safe keeping.
• Trespass – Officers responded to a residence for a trespassing report. The subject was found at a residence and determined to be violating a protection order as well. The subject was placed into custody and transported to Osceola County Jail without incident.
• Assist – K9 Officer was requested by Reed City Police Department to do an area search for a possible weapon used in a homicide. K9 deployed with no articles located.

Tuesday, April 16

• No incidents reported.

Wednesday, April 17

• Juvenile – Officers were dispatched to a residence for a disorderly juvenile that was refusing to go to school. Officers spoke with the juvenile and a parent took the juvenile to school without incident.

Thursday, April 18

• Suicide – Officers responded to the report of a suicidal subject. No actual suicidal attempt was made. Subject was transported to Corewell Health Reed City for an evaluation.

Friday, April 19

• Disorderly – Officers were dispatched for a disorderly complaint. Two female subjects were arguing with another female subject. The two females left the scene prior to Officer's arrival. 

• Noise – Officers were dispatched for a noise complaint involving loud explosive sounds. Officers checked the area and did not see any evidence suggesting the sounds were coming inside of the city. 

Saturday, April 20

• Property Damage Accident – Officers were dispatched for a two-car accident. No injuries were reported and both cars were drivable.

Sunday, April 21

• Juvenile – Officers were dispatched to a check the wellbeing on a juvenile. A CPS referral was made in reference to the complaint.

• Assault – Officers assisted Osceola County Sheriff's Department with an assault in progress. The suspect was arrested and lodged at Osceola County Jail.

• Check Wellbeing – Officers were dispatched to a check the wellbeing of two juveniles. The juveniles appeared to be good and did not require any services.

Monday, April 15

• At around 6:00 P.M., deputies made a traffic stop in Morton TWP. The traffic stop resulted in the female driver being arrested on two warrants. She was lodged at the Mecosta County Jail.

Calls for Service: 31

Traffic Accidents: 5

Tuesday, April 16

• At around 10:19 P.M., deputies made a warrant arrest in Wheatland TWP. A male subject was lodged at the Mecosta County Jail on warrants.

Calls for Service: 29

Traffic Accidents: 1

Wednesday, April 17

Calls for Service: 25

Traffic Accidents: 3

Thursday, April 18

• No incidents reported.

Friday, April 19

Calls for Service: 31

Traffic Accidents: 2

Saturday, April 20

• At 8:42 P.M., deputies made a warrant arrest at a residence in Big Rapids TWP. A female subject was arrested on a warrant. She was lodged at the Mecosta County Jail.

Calls for Service: 23

Traffic Accidents: 3

Sunday, April 21

• At 4:35 A.M., deputies made a warrant arrest at a residence in Big Rapids TWP. A male subject was arrested on a warrant. He was lodged at the Mecosta County Jail.

Calls for Service: 40

Traffic Accidents: 2

It's a long journey from Cameroon to Big Rapids, more than 6,000 miles and some 20 hours of flying.

But the journey from a college degree in engineering to a career in the beverage industry might be even longer, metaphorically speaking.

Ferris State University graduate Edwige Fute Ngouen has done both.

She laughs as she sketches out the broad parameters of the tale from her native country to the CEO and co-founder of Cocktail Menot, a Chicago-based company that makes non-alcoholic gourmet cocktail enhancers.

"Yes, back in Cameroon, I was studying for applied mathematics, but my goal was always to become an engineer," she said. "Ferris State was recommended to me, and my father and I built a strong relationship with the International Student Office. Because I was coming to the US on my own, my parents needed to have a trusted relationship with the school, and they found comfort and support with Ferris."

That comfort and support, she added, would endure both during her time as an undergraduate and then during her days as a graduate student. She earned a Bachelor of Science Electrical/Electronics Engineering Technology degree in 2006 and a Master of Science in Information System Management degree in 2009.

"From picking me up from the airport in Grand Rapids, connecting me with other international students and onboarding me through an international student orientation, everything at Ferris State was truly designed to help make international students welcome," she said with a smile.

Adjusting to life on a university campus in the United States had its challenges, she said.

"I worked extra hard the first year to get up-to-speed with my cohort," Ngouen recalled. "I had to adapt to my new environment, learn and comprehend a new language, adjust to a new school system and deal with race and gender disparity."

With the assistance of many on campus, she persisted.

She still recalls with gratitude the many people in the International Student Office who assisted her. Professors in the Electrical/Electronics Engineering Technology were also key resources and mentors on her journey as the only woman in her graduating class ("Mr. Ron McKean has always been my strongest advisor," she said).

And, she added, her fellow students were amazing. "Thanks to Kurk Laird, James V. Rhoden and Dan Scully especially as we learned to help and support each other through lab homeworks, exams, projects and more," she said.

Tara Braun, Ferris State’s executive director of International Education, said Ngouen’s is a perfect example of how international students are welcomed at the university, and how they enrich learning.

“International students provide diversity and cultural enrichment, research and innovation opportunities, and enrich the classroom by providing different perspectives not only on campus but in the greater community,” she said. “Ferris State University is committed to growing international enrollment and providing this diverse perspective in the classroom and welcomes students from all over the globe to learn in the world classroom.”

As an undergraduate student in engineering, Ngouen wasn't afraid to take on more work, including working some 16-20 hours per week as math tutor and as an orientation leader during International Orientation week.

Today that work ethic serves her well as the CEO and co-founder of Cocktail Menot, a Chicago-based company that makes non-alcoholic gourmet cocktail enhancers.

She said that after working for a number of years in engineering in West Michigan, and numerous volunteer hours with the Red Cross and Goodwill of Greater Grand Rapids, she was driven to start her cocktail company because of both passion and frustration.

"I’ve always been fascinated by the art of mixing different flavors into a cocktail," she said. "That was the passion. But, after being in the U.S. for 20-plus years, I was still frustrated by the gaps in the flavor diversity on the store shelves."

Her Cameroonian heritage was a big part of that frustration, she said.

"Access to traditional tropical flavors such as pineapple, coconut, passion fruit, lemongrass, ginger was improving, but not fast enough for my taste," she said. "Plus, I thought that a lot of the products mentioning these flavors did not taste right. My husband and I made it my mission to create cocktails that would reflect our Cameroonian origins and our current U.S. experience."

She said she is now driven to create "a liquid legacy."

She added: "Motivating people like me to dare, to innovate and to dream big is part of that legacy."

Her company makes premium Ready-to-Drink Spritzers and "cocktailizers" meant to be added to your alcohol of choice to create one-of-a-kind drinks.

They also are associate partners of the Chicago Fire Major League Soccer team, a relationship that Ngouen said is a natural fit.

"Growing up in the streets of Douala, Cameroon, football has been an intricate part of our daily lives," she told Eleven Sports Media. "As a local-based company, supporting our football team (Chicago Fire) felt so natural. We hope that partnering with the local team will play its part in bringing more flavors and diversity to the stadium.”

She is excited about the TITÙN Spritz launch at the Chicago Fire vs Columbus Crew game on May 18 at Soldier Field, but acknowledges that it is often hard work to juggle the many responsibilities of being an entrepreneur with her responsibilities as both a wife and a mother of three young children, ages eight, six and two.

"The lines between work and family easily get blurred," she said with a chuckle. "But, to stay motivated I stay focused on my objectives, and I stay positive."

Those are qualities, she added, that she can trace to her childhood in Cameroon and also to her days on the Ferris State campus.

And she welcomes Bulldogs of all ages to get connected to her company, including at the May 18 soccer game.

"It will be a historic event, and it would mean a lot to have Ferris well represented," she said.

Last Thursday, Congressman John Moolenaar voted for legislation condemning the Iranian regime for its unprecedented attack on Israel last weekend. The resolution passed the House of Representatives with bipartisan support in a vote of 404 to 14.  

Iran can also be linked to a potential Mecosta County battery factory. Last year, Gotion parent company, Gotion High-Tech, hosted Abbas Aliabadi, Iran’s Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade, at its facility in Hefei, China. The visit included a meeting between Aliabadi and Gotion High-Tech CEO, Li Chen. The meeting was publicized by Iran’s government-run news agency. 

“Iran is the largest sponsor of terrorism in the world, an avowed enemy of the United States, and on April 13 it launched an unprecedented attack on Israel. For state and local officials to give Gotion millions of dollars, knowing Gotion will send its profits back to China, and possibly use the money for business deals with Iran is simply wrong. This is yet another reason Gotion’s plans in Mecosta County should be ended for good,” said Moolenaar.

On April 13, Iran launched missile and drone attacks against Israeli targets. In November, Moolenaar introduced the NO GOTION Act, which would prohibit IRA tax credits from going to companies based in Iran or China, or their subsidiaries.

The Ferris State University softball team celebrated senior day on Sunday (April 21) while battling to a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) home split against Purdue Northwest at the FSU Softball Field.

On a day in which the Bulldogs honored senior ace pitcher Aryn Gallacher along with two other key senior staff members, Ferris State pulled out a 1-0 win over the Pride in eight innings in game one before falling 2-1 in a tightly-contested game two.

Gallacher earned the victory in the opener, earning the complete game shutout win for her eighth victory of the campaign. She struck out three and walked three while giving up no runs on 10 hits to the Pride.

The Bulldogs won the opener on a walk-off in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI double to center field from first baseman Alexis Kozlowski, which scored second baseman Jadyn Joseph in the extra-inning affair.

Kozlowski had two of the Bulldogs' five hits in the victory. Outfielders Ella McDonald and Maddie Gkekas along with Joseph all added a hit apiece.

In game two, the Pride jumped in front with two runs in the top of the second and the lead stood until the Bulldogs put a run on the board in the bottom of the fourth. Ferris State had opportunities in the final three innings, stranding a runner in both the fifth and the sixth, before loading the bases in the bottom of the seventh. However, the Pride recorded the final two outs to secure the win.

Ferris State posted six hits to five for the Pride in the nightcap, including two from Joseph along with one each by Kozlowski, catcher Emily Killion, third baseman Brooklyn Verbeek and Gkekas. Both Joseph and Gkekas doubled and Gkekas accounted for FSU's lone RBI.

The setback spoiled a successful outing for pitcher Ashley Webb, who threw all seven innings and allowed only one earned run on five hits with one strikeout. PNW's Gabby Paliska held FSU to a single run on six hits with seven strikeouts and five walks in seven innings of work.

The Bulldogs are slated to host Lewis (Ill.) in a non-league home doubleheader on Tuesday (April 23) at the FSU Softball Field starting at 1 p.m. (ET).

The Mecosta Conservation District in Big Rapids has received a $5,000 donation from Gotion Inc. to help sponsor a countywide tire recycling event on Thursday, Aug. 8 in Big Rapids.

Chuck Thelen, vice president of Gotion Inc. – North American Manufacturing, said the monetary gift is part of Gotion’s ongoing commitment to donate to nonprofit organizations in Mecosta County that keep people safe, help those in need, and protect the environment.

“Gotion’s commitment to safeguarding our environment extends far beyond creating advanced battery technologies,” Thelen said. “By helping fund this important recycling event, we are supporting the safe and sustainable disposal of old tires while contributing to a cleaner, greener future in Mecosta County.”

Gotion Inc. has made separate donations to the Big Rapids Department of Public Safety to purchase fire detectors for area families and Women’s Information Services Inc. (WISE) to help women and children in need in Mecosta County.

The tire recycling event takes place on Aug. 8 from 3-6 p.m. at the Mecosta County Fairgrounds, 540 West Ave., Big Rapids. Standard passenger vehicle and light truck tires will be accepted free of charge. There is a 10-tire drop-off limit.

"The community's support and donations are extremely important for the continued success of the long-standing Household Hazardous Waste Program and the new Tire Recycling Program,” said Brook Baumann, district administrator for the Mecosta Conservation District.  “When Gotion approached us and expressed interest in helping out, we welcomed the idea and appreciated the opportunity to provide these services to our Mecosta County residents.”

For more information about the recycling event, residents can call the Mecosta Conservation District at 989-309-9229.

Emerging artists and designers from all of Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University’s programs will present a diverse showcase of their best creative work, transforming KCAD’s 17 Fountain St. building into a massive gallery on display to the public for one week.

The 2024 Annual Student Exhibition exhibit runs from April 29 through May 4. All are invited to attend the closing reception celebrating the exhibition on Friday, May 3 from 4:00-7:00pm. The open house style event will feature live music from local bands Low Phase and PHABIES. Admission to both the exhibition and reception event is free.

“Celebrating our 2024 graduating seniors, this exhibition represents a culmination of student experience and highlights the breadth of learning that happens in our studios, labs, and classrooms,” KCAD President Tara McCrackin said.

"These talented emerging artists and designers have dedicated themselves to expanding their skills and pushing the boundaries of their disciplines, and we are proud share their passion with the entire community."

The Annual Student Exhibition also offers employers an opportunity to scout new talent and connect with the next generation of creative leaders. In addition, art and design lovers will have the chance to purchase students works to add to their collections.

For prospective students, the show also offers a valuable glimpse at KCAD's wide range of programs, close-knit community, and creative career possibilities.

High school and transfer students and their supporters are invited to join the KCAD Admissions team for a free Connect to KCAD event on Tuesday, April 30 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Participants can meet with faculty and students, learn about the admissions process, and take a guided tour of campus, including the 2024 Annual Student Exhibition.

Guests must register for Connect to KCAD to attend. Group tours of the 2024 Annual Student Exhibition are available by request.

An online exhibition, opening April 29 at kcad.edu/ase, will complement the on-campus exhibition. KCAD's 2024 Master's Thesis Exhibitions have also begun and will continue throughout the semester.

The annual tradition concludes with KCAD’s commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 5 at the Forest Hills Fine Arts Center. From May 2–10, the work of First Year Experience students will be on display at the FHFAC gallery and serve as a reminder for graduates of how far they have come as artists, designers, and scholars.

Additional information is available at kcad.edu/events.

Children Trust Michigan is recognizing the importance of preventing child abuse and neglect with a month of activities that will culminate with a special ceremony at 10 a.m., Tuesday, April 23, at the State Capitol.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has proclaimed April as Child Abuse Prevention Month. Activities and initiatives planned throughout the month will center on the symbolic blue-and-silver pinwheel of Prevent Child Abuse America, which serves as a visual representation that everyone plays a role in providing children with a bright future. Participants have been asked to share information on social media, using the hashtags #CAPMonth2024, #MIWearsBlue and #StrengtheningFamilies.

Children Trust Michigan, housed within MDHHS, was established by the Michigan Legislature in 1982.  It serves as a voice for Michigan's children and families and promotes their health, safety and welfare by funding effective local programs and services that prevent child abuse and neglect.

“Our department is devoted to improving the safety and well-being of Michigan children, as outlined in our Keep Kids Safe Action Agenda,” said Elizabeth Hertel, MDHHS director. “We are working with lawmakers, police, judges and other child welfare system leaders to do everything in our power to make Michigan the safest place in America to raise kids and nurture families.”

“Child abuse prevention is a community responsibility and Michigan is committed to ensuring all children grow up safe, healthy, educated and prepared to reach their full potential,” said Suzanne Greenberg, executive director of Children Trust Michigan. “The blue and silver pinwheels displayed in April, and throughout the year, symbolize the health and happiness all children deserve. We encourage everyone across the state to help raise awareness this month about the impact child abuse and neglect has and to help us create more stable environments and brighter futures for all children.”

Child Abuse Prevention Month culminates with the 16th annual Child Abuse Prevention Awareness Day rally on the steps of the State Capitol Tuesday, April 23. Featured speakers this year include Earl Major, Children Trust Michigan board member, Sen. Aric Nesbitt, Sen. Kristen McDonald Rivet and Fatima Salman, president of the National Association of Social Workers.

Featured programs include Child & Family Services of Northeast Michigan, InvolvedDad, Inc. and Gratiot County Child Advocacy Association. Parent stories will be shared by Ian Agee, Danni Franzoni and Julie Hunter. For information on Children Trust Michigan and Child Abuse Prevention Month, visit childrentrustmichigan.org.

The Ferris State University men's tennis squad captured the outright 2024 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Regular-Season Championship as the Bulldogs recorded a 6-1 home triumph over Lake Superior State on Saturday.

The win lifted Ferris State to a perfect 6-0 record in the GLIAC and came in the regular-season finale for the university, which also secured the top seed for the upcoming league tournament with the triumph.

The Bulldogs claimed their 21st all-time conference title. Ferris State has now won back-to-back GLIAC Championships in regular-season play and the Bulldogs have now won seven of the last nine regular-season titles that have been awarded.

Ferris State won its 10th consecutive match this season. The Bulldogs took the doubles round with wins at all three flights and Ferris State then claimed a victory in the top five singles spots in the lineup for the win. All five singles wins came in straight sets as Ferris State improved to 15-4 overall this year.

"It was the perfect day to celebrate our seniors who have meant so much to both our men's and women's programs” head coach Mark Doren said. “We had a great crowd that came out to support both teams and help send the seniors out in style. I know that it was senior day, but I really thought the seniors showed amazing leadership and toughness on the court today. It was super important to the men's team to outright win the conference championship and you could tell in the focus they had on the court today,"

The GLIAC Tournament will take place Friday thru Sunday, April 26-28, at the Midland Tennis Center. The Bulldogs will be the No. 1 seed and official matchups and information will be announced by the league office soon following the completion of regular season play for all teams.

Ferris State’s men’s golf team earned the GLIAC championship earlier this month, following the GLIAC crowns earned by the men’s and women’s basketball teams.

(Image credit to Ferris State Athletics).

The Cardinals moved to 8-0 Friday night following their victories over conference rival White Cloud in baseball action.

Big Rapids won the opening tilt 9-0, including six runs coming in the fourth inning alone. Mason McNeilly, Ty Gielczyk, and Nick Teceno each had two hits. Teceno paced the Cardinals with 3 RBI's while Izaac Zocco scored twice. Gielcyzk went five innings on the mound, only allowing two hits and striking out 11.

"The boys battled early on," Head coach J.T. Scarpelli said. "Ruether threw well but we stayed on him and broke through the second time around. There’s work to improve upon, but it’s small things now."

Game two was finished following five innings, with Big Rapids storming out to a commanding 12-0 lead after the first three. White Cloud would fight back with a few runs but would fall short by a score of 16-3. All but four Cardinal batters had multiple hits in the contest, including Brody Ososki pacing Big Rapids with four knocks, two RBI's, and two runs scored. Cole Haist threw three shut out innings for Big Rapids to get the win, with Corbin Clark and Cole Kiebala each registering an inning in relief.

According to Coach Scarpelli, the offense executed their approach and pitchers attacked hitters effectively.

"We’re looking forward to Chip Hills next week. They have some players and they always battle."

Big Rapids will face the Warriors next Tuesday at home. Game times are slated for 4:00 P.M. and 6:00 P.M.

The Ferris State University softball squad will hold Military Appreciation Day this Saturday (April 20) as the Bulldogs host the Parkside Rangers in a pivotal Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) home doubleheader at the FSU Softball Field in Big Rapids.

The first pitch for Saturday's twinbill is slated for 1 p.m. (ET) with game two scheduled to begin an approximately 3 p.m. (ET).

As part of Saturday's events, the Bulldogs will wear special camo jerseys for the Military-themed contest. All current active military members and veterans are encouraged to attend and admission is free. Fans will also have an opportunity to win prizes each inning by answering military-related questions.

The Bulldogs currently own a 21-20 overall record to date this year and are presently near the top of the GLIAC standings with a 9-7 overall conference record.

Following Saturday's doubleheader, Ferris State then hosts Purdue Northwest on Sunday (April 21) for Senior Day beginning also at 1 p.m. (ET) and 3 p.m. (ET) for games one and two, respectively.

The Ferris State University football program will pay tribute to three individuals on Friday (April 19) evening during the Bulldogs' annual Crimson & Gold Spring Game at Top Taggart Field.

Former Ferris State University Athletics Director Perk Weisenburger, who retired in 2021, will serve as the game's honorary captain and take part in the coin toss prior to the spring game. Weisenburger hired current FSU head coach Tony Annese in 2011 and played a key role in the resurgence of Bulldog Football.

Along with Weisenburger, two other individuals who have played key roles in recent years will serve as the game's honorary coaches. Former FSU Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Medicine and head athletic trainer, Brett Knight, will be one of the game's honorary coaches while current FSU Strength & Conditioning Coach Andrew Thiede will be the opposite side. Knight departed from FSU earlier this spring for another career opportunity while Thiede will be leaving the Bulldog program and moving out of state in May. Both have played lead roles in working with FSU's football student-athletes and were part of back-to-back NCAA Division II National Championship staffs in 2021 and 2022.

In addition to honoring the honorary coaches and captains, the Bulldogs will also honor other Ferris State championship teams from this academic year, including the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Championship men's and women's basketball teams along with the volleyball and golf conference championship squads. Various FSU student-athletes and teams will also take part in special halftime activities.

Kickoff for the spring contest is set for 5:30 p.m. (ET). Admission to the event will be free and gates will open one hour prior to kickoff.

As in years past, the annual Crimson & Gold Spring Game is also slated to be broadcast live on the Bulldog Sports Network and local flagship station Sunny 97.3 FM with Rob Bentley and Sandy Gholston on the call starting with pregame coverage at 5 p.m. It will be streamed online with both live audio and a free live video webcast courtesy of the Ferris State Television & Digital Media Production program at FerrisStateBulldogs.com. The live radio call will also be carried over the stadium public address system for the fans in attendance.

The annual spring game will provide fans with an opportunity to watch the Bulldogs for the first time since last fall in a game-like situation under head coach Tony Annese and his staff. The spring game will feature a modified scoring and timing format and provide an opportunity for many of FSU's younger players to take the field for the first time while wrapping up spring drills.

The Bulldogs will begin their 115th season of varsity competition this coming fall with their sights set on making a 10th consecutive trip to the NCAA Division II Playoffs. The Bulldogs have made five national semifinal appearances along with three trips to the national championship game and back-to-back national titles in 2021 and 2022 during the stretch.

Over the past three seasons of action, the Bulldogs own a 36-4 overall record and FSU has reached the NCAA Division II Playoffs nine consecutive years and counting. Ferris State has also reached the NCAA Division II National Semifinals five times in the past seven seasons of action and ranks as the country's winningest program over the past nine full seasons in D2 Football. FSU is 63-6 over the last four seasons of on-field action, including back-to-back NCAA D2 National Championships in 2021 and 2022.

Ferris State also holds the GLIAC's best mark and the best overall record of all collegiate programs in Michigan at 123-20 (.860) overall since the arrival of Annese as head coach in 2012.