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Boise State Coach: Lions Fans Will ‘Fall in Love’ With Ahmed Hassanein

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Boise State Coach: Lions Fans Will ‘Fall in Love’ With Ahmed Hassanein


Detroit Lions rookie defensive end Ahmed Hassanein has the worth ethic and determination to quickly endear himself to his teammates, coaching staff and the fanbase.

In his first introduction to Lions local media, Hassanein told reporters he was willing to die on the field playing for coach Dan Campbell. He already seems to embody Detroit’s culture, and seems to be a player that will be easy for fans to root for.

Spencer Danielson, who was Hassanein’s head coach at Boise State, explained that the young defender will quickly become a fan favorite due to how hard he plays and his willingness to do whatever it takes to win.

“The Detroit fan base will absolutely fall in love with Ahmed Hassenein,” said Danielson, via the Detroit News. “Period, point blank, end of story. He will be an absolute fan favorite because of how hard he plays, how much he’s gonna love the team, love the fans. Just get ready.”

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The Lions have placed value on players who showcase a tireless work ethic and an insatiable desire to improve. Hassanein checks those boxes, and Danielson believes it will be a seamless transition for him based on his willingness to learn.

“He’s a relentless learner. He studies — like, he can listen and learn,” Danieson explained. “Some guys can’t. I don’t care if they played football their whole life … listening and learning is a hard trait nowadays because it’s such an attention span deal with the phones. Ahmed will focus and listen and learn. He is locked in when you speak to him.”

Hassanein’s play-style was one of the motivating factors for the Lions to draft him. He is physical, tough and plays extremely fast. As a result, he seems to be an ideal fit for how the Lions plan to play defensively under new coordinator Kelvin Sheppard.

“We acquired him because he plays with his hair on fire, and as, let’s call it developmental, as he is, he just – he plays hard,” said GM Brad Holmes. “We talk about just, I think I said the other night, what do you have to do at that position? You’ve got to set edges and win rushes. And when I say win rushes, it’s not just getting a sack, you can win rushes just by harassment and power and collapsing the pocket and just sheer effort. So, we just liked the upside of him, we like his football character, his work ethic, his passion.”

Hassanein explained his motivation during his post-draft media conference, explaining that he takes pride in being a player that opponents dread lining up against.

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“It means I never stop. I never stop. I am always going. I am always willing to learn. I never settle. When you teach me something, I’ll go 100 miles per hour every snap, every play. I will never settle,” Hassanein said. “That’s just who I am. I am ready to die on the football field because he believes in me. I truly feel that. Just the consistency and the growth and the physicality that I bring, I never stop. Offensive linemen hate going against me just because I keep going after them every play, every play, every play, even if I get blocked. I get back up and do it again, do it again, do it again because that’s who I am. That’s who I am.”

Hassanein is still relatively new to the game of football, as he started playing football as a sophomore in high school. He dominated in his final two seasons at Boise State, but will now have to adjust to another uptick in competition.

However, the potential he possesses with his athleticism and strength make his future very intriguing. The Lions have a solid track record of developing players, and Hassanein’s relentless work ethic could aid in him fully reaching his overall ceiling.

“That’s the coolest part about it is that there’s so much untapped potential inside of him. But he has the foundation that you have to have for a football player, and that’s effort,” Holmes said. “He plays with high effort nonstop. The more you get to know the person and the energy that he brings, you feel really good about it, because that energy shows on the field.”



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Detroit, MI

The first Detroit Lions OC candidate has emerged

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The first Detroit Lions OC candidate has emerged


Blough is only two years into his coaching career after retiring from playing after the 2023 season. He has spent the last two seasons as the Washington Commanders’ assistant quarterbacks coach, helping young quarterback Jayden Daniels emerge as a strong franchise player for Washington. Late in the 2025 season, Commanders quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard took the Stanford head coaching job, leaving Blough to serve as the interim quarterbacks coach for the rest of the season.

While backing up Jared Goff in Detroit, Blough was often described by the coaching staff as an excellent backup and strong offensive mind.

“I love the kid, if I’m being totally honest with you,” Campbell said back in 2021. “He’s just a little football player. And when I say that, I mean that in the highest regard. Look, he’s smart. He’s extremely smart. He knows where to go with the football, I love his timing. He knows how to command the huddle, he communicates well and on top of that, he’s a hell of a dude, by the way. He just is. So, he has not disappointed. He’s doing a good job. He’s out there competing with the rest of those guys.”

As of now, this is the only known candidate for the Lions’ offensive coordinator position, but it’s still early in the process. When more candidates emerge, we’ll have a tracker so you can see all of the names in one place.

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Popular Detroit sports columnist announces stage 4 cancer diagnosis

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Popular Detroit sports columnist announces stage 4 cancer diagnosis


Longtime Detroit sports radio host and columnist Pat Caputo has been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, he announced Monday.

Caputo, a host on Detroit’s 97.1 The Ticket, last published a column on Nov. 7. On Monday, he explained the reason behind his absence.

“For those wondering where I’ve been: I have been diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer, commonly referred to as a “death sentence” and had two other serious ailments which put me in ICU for several days,” Caputo wrote in a post to X. “It was sudden. I’ve literally been on my back for weeks. Bless you all.”

Caputo, 66, became a well-known personality in Detroit sports media during his time as an award-winning columnist for The Oakland Press from 1983-2020, according to the Detroit Free Press. He also was previously part of WXYT’s “Evening Sports” broadcast, and is an official voter for the Baseball Hall of Fame and college football’s Heisman Trophy award, according to his X bio.

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Caputo is nicknamed “The Book” for his impressive memory retaining sports stats and information, according to FOX 2 in Detroit, where he has been a regular guest on its “Sports Works” broadcast.

Caputo’s social media announcement regarding his health drew support from fellow sports media professionals, including Brad Galli, sports director at WXYZ Detroit, and ESPN’s Dan Wetzel and Dave Pasch.

“Pat, we’re praying for [you],” Galli wrote. “Awful awful awful to read this, man. God bless you.”

“Legend. Stay strong my friend. So much support out here for you,” Wetzel posted.

“Book, praying for you my friend. So sorry to hear this,” Pasch wrote.

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Murder trial starts this week in death of Detroit neurosurgeon Devon Hoover

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Murder trial starts this week in death of Detroit neurosurgeon Devon Hoover


DETROIT (WXYZ) — Desmond Burks’ murder trial starts this week. On Monday, he attended his pre-trial hearing. Burks faces first-degree murder, felony murder and larceny charges in the death of Dr. Devon Hoover.

The prominent Detroit neurosurgeon was found dead in his attic in April 2023 after Detroit police performed a wellness check. Investigators said he had been shot twice in the head and his body was wrapped in a blood-soaked carpet.

Watch Darren Cunningham’s video report below:

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Trial set to begin in Dr. Devon Hoover murder case

At the pre-trial, Judge Paul Cusick set the tone for how he expects the trial to go. It could last several weeks, according to court administration.

“Obviously, there’s always been respect shown to this court by the defendant and attorneys in this case, and all of the witnesses need to show the respect that is going to be required. There will be no outburst from any witnesses or anyone else during the proceedings,” the judge said.

Cusick discussed scheduling for the trial, starting with jury selection Wednesday and outlined restrictions for news media.

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“Media is prohibited from showing and/or publishing the faces of any civilian witnesses not employed by the government,” he read.

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Those same restrictions were in place during the preliminary hearing.

At the prelim, a number of people testified that they were former lovers of Desmond Burks.

Those men and women described Burks as a hustler and said he would send them money from an unknown Cash App and then have them send the money back to his Cash App.

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Watch our coverage of the third day of the preliminary hearing below:

Day 3 concludes in Desmond Burks’ preliminary hearing in murder of Dr. Devon Hoover

Burks is accused of stealing more than $30,000 from Hoover via credit card and fraudulent bank transactions, and Burks allegedly used other people to execute his plan.

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Investigators said text messages revealed Burks had an intimate relationship with Hoover and was sometimes paid for sexual services.

Watch our coverage of the second day of the preliminary hearing below:

Mystery backpack focus of testimony during day 2 of Hoover preliminary hearing

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Testimony from the prelim also revealed that authorities zeroed in on Burks, in part, through cellphone records and surveillance footage involving Hoover’s stolen truck.

During the trial, we may hear from a close relative of Burks who identified him in surveillance footage during the prelim. The footage allegedly shows Burks walking away from Hoover’s stolen vehicle.

Watch our coverage of the first day of the preliminary hearing below:

Preliminary hearing begins for man charged with killing Dr. Devon Hoover

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The jury selection process is scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.





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