Aidan Hutchinson joined FanSided on behalf of Courtyard by Marriott and the Super Bowl Sleepover contest at State Farm Stadium.
Even after a season where he took home Pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Year honors, Detroit Lions defensive powerhouse Aidan Hutchinson is still hungry.
Luckily, if he wants food, he can just zip down the highway to his family home for a quick dinner.
“I’m actually taking the same expressway I took to high school to drive to the Lions now,” Hutchinson told FanSided this week. “I just get off a little bit further.”
So far, so good for Hutchinson’s transition to the next level, which has taken place within the friendly confines of the same state where he dominated at both Divine Child High School in Dearborn, MI and at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
Year 1 featured NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors in Week 11, an accolade he earned during the Lions’ surge that placed them firmly in the postseason conversation — and has them rightly viewed as a sleeper heading into next season. Hutchinson also, impressively, managed to record three interceptions in 2022, a rarity for someone playing his position. His favorite of the trio was the moment he became one of just six players to pick off Daniel Jones during the 2022 regular and postseason — but he let his hands speak for themselves.
“No, no, I like to let my actions do the talking. But that one was a fun one to get,” Hutchinson explained. “I was actually dropping in coverage and it was a legit drop. I was just doing my job. That was probably my favorite one of the three right there.”
Detroit Lions’ Aidan Hutchinson has Eagles winning Super Bowl vs Chiefs
Before Hutchinson can get going on his sophomore campaign, there’s one more game to be played. He’ll be drawing inspiration from the NFC powerhouse Eagles, his pick to disrupt the Super Bowl and take home the Lombardi.
“That D-Line is so impressive, man,” Hutchinson admitted. “Being in the same conference as them, obviously you watch a lot of tape on them because you’re playing a lot of the same teams. They’ve been so impressive. Their pressure rate, their sacks, everything.”
“They’ve got so much depth, too. They’ve got platoons out there they can roll with. It’s gonna be so much fun watching them on Sunday.”
Fun if you’re Hutchinson. Not so much if you’re Patrick Mahomes trying to hide an ankle injury, or a member of the high-priced offensive line put in place to prevent a repeat of 2021’s Buccaneers debacle.
Next year, perhaps it’ll be Hutchinson’s upstart Lions, powered by Dan Campbell’s controlled mania, representing the conference. If so, it could be because he picked up a few tricks from Philly’s potential upcoming masterclass and brought them to his forever home to roost.