The Detroit Lions have laid out the foundation of the culture they wanted to establish, and it is easy to see its impact on the franchise. The Lions filled their clubhouse with strong leaders to spread that message and hold everyone accountable, and it showed with their performance on the field. In addition, the organization has shown they take care of their own, and they did such that by re-signing one of their defensive leaders Isaiah Buggs to a two-year contract.
Buggs was at the forefront of the defense and a vocal leader to lead the charge with his high-powered energy that would make you want to run through a brick wall. Even though he did not light up the stat sheet, he was a monster up front and paved the way for others to make the plays. He knew what his job was, and he did it with perfection.
It would have been interesting to see what kind of market Buggs would have had, but he was not interested in going anywhere else because he could see what the Lions were doing and wants to help achieve that elusive success.
“I‘m a firm believer being part of something that’s trying to be built here. We’re going to build something great here, and I want to be a part of it when it happens. I didn’t want to go into free agency wondering about where I was going to be, where I was going to end up. When Detroit called me and they said, ‘We want you back,’ I wanted to be back. I always wanted to be back, and I’m glad we made that happen.”
Buggs was a very late addition last season, signing with the Lions a week before training camp, but that didn’t stop him from showing his hard work and dedication to make a difference for a franchise that feel at home with.
“Sometimes it’s better to have a fresh start. Me, when I got drafted with the Steelers, my career was up and down until I finally found a place where I can call home. When you find a place that you can call home, you feel more comfortable. And when you get comfortable, you do more things.”
Buggs is a very easy player to root for, and his contributions go more than tackles on the field. He is a true difference maker on and off the field and provided a strong outlet to young defensive players like Aidan Hutchinson, Alim McNeill, and Josh Paschal last year. The confidence is growing in Detroit, and Buggs is now part of that strong nucleus core to continue the upward trajectory.
“Just being around a great group of guys, I really felt at home here. And these coaches, man, they’re outstanding coaches. They really believe in you and really put you in the best situation to win. That was my main thing, finding a place where I can fit in, I can be a leader and I can just do what’s asked and buy in. Detroit was that place for me.”
