This interview is from special contributor Justin Melo (@JustinM_NFL)
The surging 6-7 Detroit Lions have claimed five victories in their latest six contests and find themselves battling for a postseason spot. The Lions have showcased steady improvement throughout the season. Sunday’s victory over the division-leading Minnesota Vikings was extremely impressive. Head coach Dan Campbell has the franchise trending in the right direction.
Starting inside linebacker Alex Anzalone has taken on a crucial leadership role. Anzalone leads all Lions defenders in tackles with 100. Anzalone has also recorded six pass breakups, four tackles for loss, one interception, one fumble forced and one fumble recovered. He’s been a defensive difference-maker.
Anzalone joined The Lions Wire for an exclusive discussion earlier this week live from Forgotten Harvest Warehouse in Oak Park, Michigan. Anzalone was delivering meals to those in need alongside Campbell’s Chunky and their Chunky Sacks Hunger relief program. Anzalone discussed Detroit’s current form, defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, the improvement shown by Malcolm Rodriguez and so much more.
Yourself and Campbell’s Chunky are hosting a food donation event at Forgotten Harvest Warehouse in Oak Park, Michigan as part of the Chunky Sacks Hunger relief program. The program is designed to fight food inequality. Why is this cause so important to the Anzalone family?
Food insecurity drew me to this program. It’s a problem that lives all over America, but especially in the Detroit area. Prior to my involvement, I learned that one in six families in the Detroit area suffer from food insecurity. That’s not okay. Having quality food is an essential need as a human being. Being able to help out in my community is an honor.
It truly is a special program that’s helping so many families in need, particularly in your local community in Detroit. Your Lions have won five of their last six. What a massive victory that was over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. Was that a statement win for this team?
I think it was a statement for us. We’re on a roll right now. Like you said, we’ve won five of our last six. That was a 10-2 Vikings team. They’re most likely going to win our division. It was a statement victory for us. It really was a collaborative effort by our team. Offense, defense, special teams, all three units showed up. That win was awesome. We’re rolling right now.
We have a four-week season moving forward.
You’re enjoying quite the season yourself. You’ve already recorded career-highs in tackles (100) and tackles for loss (four). What’s changed for you in 2022?
I feel like it’s always been in me. Finding yourself in the right situation at the right time is so crucial to the overall success of an NFL player. I’ve said that many times before as well. There are a lot of really good players in the NFL who unfortunately don’t get into the right fit at the right time. I’m fortunate to be in Detroit right now.
And how is defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn putting you in the right spot?
He does a really great job of identifying our strengths and weaknesses. He aims to put his players in the right spots. He understands our individual skill sets. He knows what his players can handle mentally. That’s really across the board. He gets “it” in relation to our defensive linemen, defensive backs and linebackers
How has linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard helped take your game to the next level? Coach Sheppard captured a lot of hearts on Hard Knocks.
He’s a Hard Knocks kind of guy (laughs). The thing about coach Sheppard that I really appreciate is, especially in my sixth season now, he holds his players to a certain standard and he refuses to deviate from that. He has an All-Pro standard for all of his linebackers. It can be frustrating as a player sometimes because you’re never going to play a perfect game but we ultimately appreciate his standard. He makes us want to be great.
You’ve also been around the ball a ton this season. You have been great. You have six pass breakups, five quarterback hits, 1.5 sacks and a fumble recovery. What’s helped you improve your ball production in 2022?
That’s a great question. I think I’ve been doing a better job finishing plays around the ball. I’ve been better at capitalizing on those crucial in-game opportunities. That’s really it. I’m making those plays when the opportunity reveals itself.
I’ve been making the plays I’m supposed to make. I’m a ball player that can create turnovers. I’m finding ways to impact the game. I’ve been able to do just that.
You’re in your sixth season as you said. The Lions are receiving contributions from their 2022 rookie class as well. Aidan Hutchinson has been outstanding. Kerby Joseph, Malcolm Rodriguez and James Houston are coming on strong. What has most impressed you about those guys? You’ve been around enough rookie classes to know.
I’ve been especially impressed with how they’re handling our recent success. And that still rings true for their personal successes as well. They’ve done a great job listening to our veterans. They’ve seeked out ways for them to improve. They want us to lead them. As we’re rolling now and learning how to win games, they’ve done a great job adjusting to the success.
That’s the most impressive thing about those guys. They’re not getting ahead of themselves. They’re still asking good questions. They’re still trying to learn and figure out how to win more football games.
You’re a Florida guy. Anthony Richardson was electric at quarterback this season and recently declared for the 2023 NFL Draft. Assuming you’ve had a chance to watch him play, what are your thoughts on Richardson?
Everyone knows that he’s an athletic specimen. His body composition and skill set speaks for itself. He’s an impressive player. What he’s able to do is very impressive as a quarterback. It will translate well to the NFL.
Obviously he has to take those next steps now. He has to keep progressing and attack everything that comes with that. We’ll see where he goes in the draft. If he picks up on all the mental aspects of the game, he’ll be an excellent quarterback in the NFL.
We’ve appreciated your time today, Alex, and everything you’re doing with the Chunky Sacks Hunger relief program. In closing, what are your goals to close out the 2022 campaign?
I’ve really embraced the opportunity to help fight hunger here in Detroit. Campbell’s helped me donate 100,000 meals to Forgotten Harvest. That’s huge for everybody in the Detroit area. I want to continue fighting food insecurity in my community. The Chunky Sacks Hunger campaign is providing one million meals to Americans this season. That’s a huge number of meals. It’s unfathomable for me to comprehend and to be a part of. They’ve also matched 1,000 meals for every sack we record as a defense this season. I believe we’re at 26 sacks as a team, so they’ve donated an additional 26,000 meals to the Detroit area. We’re bringing this cause to the forefront during the Holiday season.
As for our season, it’s a four-week season moving forward. We understand what we have ahead of us. The thought of finishing the season 4-0 is a bit daunting but it’s definitely doable. We have to go play against some good teams on the road. We need some help around the league as well. I personally just want us to finish the season strong. I’m going to help the team win.
This city deserves a playoff push.
