Detroit Lions 70th Overall Pick Isaac TeSlaa

We spoke with Isaac TeSlaa who was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the 3rd round of the NFL Draft. Isaac is from West Michigan and is excited to play for his home team!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Here's what the audio sounded like from Isaac's Instagram or
Isaac Slaw, a Detroit Lion now on the live line
with us this morning. Congratulations and welcome to the NFL.

Speaker 3 (00:18):
Thank you very much.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
How crazy was that on Friday? I mean, third round?
Good for you, brother? I mean, you worked from Unity
Christian to Hillsdale College following your dad's footstep. He was
a standout charger, and then you get a chance in
the transfer portal to go to Arkansas for two years
and the Senior Bowl. I mean it had to be crazy,
But were you really thinking the Lions? Could that dream
come true?

Speaker 1 (00:39):
Man?

Speaker 3 (00:39):
You're completely right. It is a dream come true in
so many ways, and I'm just extremely blessed. I mean, honestly,
it's just the best case scenario in so many ways
that I ended up there. Did I ever dream it? Absolutely?
It was a dream of mine since I was a kid.
Did I ever knew if it was going to become
a reality or not? I wasn't sure. But obviously as
we got closer to draft time, I could tell they

(01:02):
had interest in me. But you never know what's going
to happen draft night.

Speaker 2 (01:05):
What was the greatest I guess mentally point where you said, Hey,
this thing is going to a whole new level. Was
it when you first went to Hillsdale and blew up?
Or was it when you went from Mealsdale, I mean
hello to the SEC in Arkansas.

Speaker 3 (01:20):
Yeah. I'd say about halfway through my season at Hillsdale,
I could tell you know, I was a little bit
better than everyone else that was playing at that level.
And so you know, I still wasn't sure if I
we're going to be able to make it, make it
happen in the NFL someday. But I had someone pulled
me aside after one of my games and told me
that if I kept working hard, I would have the

(01:42):
potential to make it to the NFL someday. And I
still remember that, and I think that was a really
big point for me.

Speaker 2 (01:47):
Isaac Deslant covered him as a quarterback back in the day,
Untie Christopher Greig Tibby. They won the Division five state
championship in twenty eighteen. And I'll ask you this question,
what's more nerve wracking and crazy for you and your
parents and the people around you, the transfer portal or
the NFL draft, And combine.

Speaker 3 (02:07):
The draft one hundred percent.

Speaker 2 (02:10):
What was it like to prepare for that? I mean,
were you one of those that you left school? I
know a lot of them do after the football season
and in the spring you're just totally getting ready on
your forty time and your bench press and everything else.

Speaker 3 (02:22):
Yeah. So I graduated in December, and then from there
I went and trained down in Fort Myers at a
gym called X three. So I was there for two
and a half months preparing for the Combine. And then
obviously I had some bowl games to go to throughout
that process, but went to the Combine, then had PROTA
at Arkansas, and then I've just been back in Michigan.

(02:42):
I'm training back home, all right.

Speaker 2 (02:44):
I got to ask you, what's Dan Campbell like? And
then parlay that real quick into your favorite line? You
grew up as a Liones fan? Your favorite line ever?

Speaker 3 (02:54):
Yeah, Well, I only met Dan Campbell one time, but
obviously I feel like I've known for much longer with
all the games and the hard nolection and all the
clips I've watched. But obviously he's a very passionate guy,
and I'm just really looking forward to playing playing for him.
I think, you know, he's the best coach in the NFL,
and there's a reason that the Lion's culture and overall

(03:15):
record has really shifted since he's you know, gotten to
be the head coach. And my favorite line of all time,
I mean, he's got to be Megatron.

Speaker 2 (03:24):
Yes, he wants to be Megatron, I think in the future.

Speaker 1 (03:28):
Right, that's right, we will be cheering along with everybody
else from your home state. Isaac Taslaw, seventieth overall draft
pick for the Detroit Lions, thank you so much for
taking time with us today.

Speaker 3 (03:41):
Absolutely, thank you.