Getty Jeff Okudah celebrates a Lions' 2022 win over Chicago.
The Detroit Lions’ gritty win over the Chicago Bears in Week 10 impressed a lot of people, and fans back at home were tuned into the nail biter finish and were thrilled with the outcome.
After the game, one of the players that made one of the biggest plays in the game had a special shout-out to his city, and it’s likely one that will make fans downright thrilled in the afterglow of the win.
Cornerback Jeff Okudah had the interception of the day, snagging a Justin Fields pass and taking it back to unexpectedly tie the game in the fourth quarter. After the game, he sent the message on Twitter that the Lions are built differently for big moments thanks to toughness, much like their city.
We’re built different in Detroit! LIONS WIN! #Respectfully 🦁
“We’re built different in Detroit! LIONS WIN! #Respectfully,” Okudah tweeted shortly after the game ended.
Detroit’s comeback win was the largest in the fourth quarter since 1993, and previously, the Lions had been 0-98 when faced with a situation where they were down by 14 in the final frame of the game.
As Okudah said, his team was simply too tough to give up in such a situation, which is a major homage to the Motor City and their mindset off the field as well.
Okudah’s Interception Fueled Lions’ Comeback
Okudah can take as much credit as anyone for the win, given the fact that he helped fuel it in a big way.
In the fourth quarter with the team needing a huge play on defense, Okudah stepped up and delivered a beauty. He got in front of a Justin Fields pass and took the ball to the house to help tie the game for the Lions.
Jeff Okudah pick-six 👀 #OnePride
📺: #DETvsCHI on FOX
📱: Stream on NFL+ t.co/bBQuxnO25T
Okudah needed a signature moment to get his career going, and this was it. The game-changing play helped spur the Lions defense, and they would go on to win the game as a result of this score.
Okudah Proud of Lions’ Hard Work
Long known as a blue-collar type town, Okudah’s shout-out to Detroit was made extra special in that the Lions were able to grab a gritty win. As Okudah said afterward, it simply showed that there’s no shortcut to hard work.
Okudah admitted to the media that the Lions have managed to keep the faith all season long, even in spite of some of the struggles they have endured on the field.
“Hard work is undefeated”
“One thing about our team that I notice, we definitely kept the faith. Everything the coaches have been preaching all season, no matter what happened, no matter what our record indicated. Guys just kept believing. When you have a team like that that has unwavering belief in the things that are being preached from top to bottom, I think you’ll get good results. Sometimes it’s a lagging process, but hard work is undefeated,” Okudah said.
Certainly, everyone from Detroit knows the value of hard work. To see Okudah standing up as a shining example of that has to be a major point of pride for the entire city.