Ex-Lions return to Metro Detroit to give back: 'It was the best place for me'

Rochester Hills — Former Detroit Lions tight end Eric Ebron and offensive lineman Gosder Cherilus could have been anywhere in the world, but on Monday they were giving back not far from where their careers started.

>It has been many years since they played for the Lions, but their love for Detroit remains the same.

>“Detroit means everything to me,” Ebron said. “I love it here. I was here for the beginning of the growth era for Detroit. So just going back and being among the people, and having people actually know me outside of football, has been a pleasure.”

>Cherilus, who was born in Haiti and raised in Somerville, Massachusetts, appreciated the fans and the city during his time in Detroit.

>“It was the best place for me,” Cherilus said of Detroit. “The type of blue-collar city it was, the type of folks I had the chance to be around. We saw some real middle-class people waking up every day, working 9-to-5 and trying to figure it out one way or another, which was the same type of mentality we had with the team.”

>Ebron and Cherilus were just a few of the former Lions who represented One Pride at the Feldman Automotive Children’s Miracle Celebrity Invitational on Monday at Wyndgate Country Club. The annual celebrity golf tournament supports pediatric programs at Children’s Miracle Network hospitals at Corewell Health Children’s, as well as the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation.

>Both were former first-round picks drafted by the franchise and spent the first years of their careers in Detroit before signing second contracts elsewhere.

>Giving back and attending the golf tournament was also personal for both athletes. For Ebron, it brings back memories of his upbringing in Newark, New Jersey.

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>“I’ve come from where I grew up, and the things that happened to my family and my grandfather having health issues and things like that just do something warm inside,” Ebron said.

>Ebron was selected with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft and spent his first four seasons with the Lions (2014–17) before playing two seasons each with the Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers. Despite never playing with the current Lions roster, Ebron remains connected to several players on the team.

>“(All-Pro receiver) Amon-Ra St. Brown is my boy,” Ebron said. “We were just enjoying a night out a couple of months ago. Jared Goff is always my boy. I can’t wait to get him on a golf course.”

>Ebron also recalled being recruited by current Lions head coach Dan Campbell when Campbell was the tight ends coach for the Miami Dolphins.

>“Dan came to my school (at North Carolina). I’ve had lunch and talks with Dan,” Ebron said. “I love Dan as a coach, leader and person. He’s amazing.”

>Ebron is not the only one connected to Campbell. Cherilus, who played for the Lions from 2008–12, spent his rookie season playing alongside Campbell on Detroit’s 0-16 team. Cherilus is proud of how the franchise has turned things around under Campbell, and said he would have loved to play for him as a head coach.

>“Dan’s a good guy. I love what he’s doing with the guys,” Cherilus said. “I would have loved to play for him and would have had no issue doing so.”

>One player both men did play with was former Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford. Stafford spent his first 12 NFL seasons in Detroit before being traded in January 2021 to the Los Angeles Rams, where he won Super Bowl LVI.

>“It was awesome to get drafted and come here and play with Megatron, Matthew Stafford and Reggie Bush,” Ebron said. “It was eye-opening to be around that caliber of players, especially as a young person, and we were winning.”

>Despite his admiration for Stafford, Cherilus’ loyalty remains with Detroit.

>“It’s nothing they haven’t done before,” Cherilus said when asked about the possibility of the Lions having to go through the Rams to reach the Super Bowl. “I’m taking the Lions all the way,” he added when asked whose side he would take in a matchup between Detroit and Stafford.

>Although Cherilus now resides in Boston, Detroit is always worth the trip. As for Ebron, who now balances responsibilities as a podcaster and father, he continues to attend games and support the team where it all began.

>Tarohn Finley is a freelance writer.

>This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Ex-Lions Eric Ebron, Gosder Cherilus giving back in Metro Detroit