Detroit, MI

Would Detroit’s Brandon Graham come out of retirement for Lions? No, but …

Published

8 months ago

July 24, 2025

Would Detroit’s Brandon Graham come out of retirement for Lions? No, but …

Brandon Graham is enjoying retirement these days after playing 15 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, going out in style with the Eagles’ win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.

It was Graham’s second Super Bowl championship, with the first coming after the 2017 season, when he strip-sacked Tom Brady, forcing a fumble that helped the Eagles defeat the New England Patriots, 41-33.

Graham, who played at Detroit Crockett and then at Michigan, where he was first-team All-American in 2009, suffered a torn triceps injury, forcing him to miss the postseason before he returned to play 13 snaps at defensive end in the Super Bowl win.

When asked how he felt, and if he still stays in game shape, Graham told The Detroit News on Wednesday: “It’s all healed up good, and I’m fine. I work out every day.”

The Detroit Lions have questions marks on their defensive line, with especially with the injuries to defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike out for the season following an ACL injury, defensive tackle Alim McNeil still rehabbing from an ACL injury, and defensive ends Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport coming back from injuries.

Would Graham, 37, entertain coming out of retirement if the Lions called?

“I’m retired, enoying life in retirement the last five months,” Graham said. “The only team I’d come out of retirement for is the Eagles, the only team I’ve ever played for. I’m loyal.”

But, what if the Lions did call him?

“If they were offering me something crazy,” Graham said. “Sure, it would be cool to play for the hometown team. It’s all about how I’m valued by them. What would be expected of me because I’m more than just a player. I know I can still play, but if it’s worth it because there’s only so long you can bang your body … but, yes I do still have something left in the tank.”

Graham is known for his leadership, immense talent and durability where he played more games (218, including postseason games) and more seasons (15) than any other player in Eagles’ history, and don’t forget the 76½ sacks during the regular season (and 82 in all).

Graham still has his love for Detroit.

“I still stay in touch with my coaches at Crockett, Coach (Rod) Oden’s son Jacob is now playing at Michigan, and my high school math teacher and coach (Gerald) Guerrant’s son, Dakota, is playing for them at Harper Woods. It was great to see Jacob win a state title at Harper Woods, something we never did when I was in high school.

“I went to Michigan’s camp this summer and talked to the recruits and got a chance to talk with Jacob. It was a great experience, trying to tell them all to make the right decisions, surround yourself with the right people with God in the center of it all. That’s what I did because it’s been a day-to-day grind, for sure.”

If the Lions don’t call, Graham will enjoy retirement and his time with his wife Carlyne and their sons, 9-year-old Emerson and 6-year-old Bryson. He said he plans to come home and see his grandparents in the not-so-distant future.

“Right now my title is retired, but I’ve had offers come my way, media stuff,” Graham said. “I’m excited to find out what I love to do next.”

david.goricki@detroitnews.com

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Detroit, MI

PWHL players bond with women’s hockey pioneers at Detroit clinic | NHL.com

Published

9 hours ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

PWHL players bond with women’s hockey pioneers at Detroit clinic | NHL.com

Both generations on the ice Friday are intent on growing the game for today’s kids. Hartje and the Polar Bears believe an important step for women’s hockey in Michigan would be starting a Division I college team.

“I think if the PWHL establishes a team in Detroit, it will put a lot of pressure on the colleges to make sure there’s a D-I team in the state,” Hartje said. “Michigan has the second-highest number of players in the league, and it would have been a dream for us to be able to stay in the state to play.”

It’s been a problem for decades. Pierson had to turn down the offer from Boston University, because her family couldn’t afford to send her to New England for college. Hartje ended up at Yale University, and Megan Keller, who scored the gold medal winning goal for the U.S. in the 2026 Winter Olympics and plays for the PWHL’s Boston Fleet, went from suburban Detroit to Boston College.

Meanwhile, 2026 U.S. men’s Olympic team members and Michigan natives Dylan Larkin of the Red Wings and Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets were able to stay in the state to play with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program, then based in Ann Arbor, before moving on to the University of Michigan in the same town.

“Megan’s brother played at Michigan State, and I’m sure she also would have stayed here to play for a Michigan school,” Skarupa said. “It’s imperative that Michigan gets a college program.”

Skarupa is serious about growing the game. She is working with Keller and the NHL Foundation U.S. to identify recipients for its $100,000 Empowerment Grant Program for Girls Hockey.

“Every time I go back to a city, there are new teams, new girls and new faces,” she said. “It’s a testament to growth all over the world, but it is tremendous inside the U.S.”

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Detroit, MI

Retired Detroit sergeant faces new sexual assault charge involving 14-year-old victim from 2002

Published

21 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

Retired Detroit sergeant faces new sexual assault charge involving 14-year-old victim from 2002

Updated on: March 27, 2026 / 12:23 PM EDT
/ CBS Detroit

An additional case, this one involving a victim who was then 14 years old, has been added to the sexual assault investigation against a former Detroit Police Department sergeant.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy announced the latest charges on Friday against Benjamin Martin Wagner, 68, who now lives in Greenville, N.C. He had retired from the Detroit Police Department in 2017.

The victim in the additional charges was 14 years old when the assault happened in October 2002 in Detroit, Worthy said. The prosecutor alleges that Wagner approached the victim, pointed a handgun at her, ordered her away from the location and then sexually assaulted her.

In this case, he faces charges of kidnapping, two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct. An arraignment hearing took place Friday in the 36th District Court in Detroit. A probable cause conference is scheduled for April 7.

The woman is now 37 years old.

“She has lived with what happened to her for 23 years and has now bravely decided that she wants to be a part of holding him accountable,” Worthy said.

Wagner participated in a court hearing Thursday and was remanded to jail, one week after he was charged with 15 counts of kidnapping and rape in five separate sexual assault cases. All of those incidents happened between 1999 and 2003 in the northwest side of Detroit, with the victims being young women between the ages of 15 and 23.

The court dates for the earlier list of charges are April 7 for a probable cause hearing and April 14 for a preliminary exam.

Wagner joined the Detroit Police Department in 1989 as a police officer and was eventually promoted to sergeant. He retired in 2017 and moved to North Carolina.

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Detroit, MI

Metro Detroit weather forecast, March 26, 2026 — 11 p.m. Update

Published

1 day ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

Metro Detroit weather forecast, March 26, 2026 — 11 p.m. Update

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