Getty Killian Hayes drives the ball for the Pistons in 2021.
Detroit sports is a brotherhood, and the local teams have endured a lot of change lately on the field and off. Even though that’s the case, it hasn’t stopped the young stars coming to town from connecting.
The most recent young player to enter the mix was Penei Sewell of the Detroit Lions. Sewell joined the team a month ago and has been getting acclimated to the Motor City ever since. He’s been having fun meeting Lions legends such as Calvin Johnson, and getting into the mix in his new city in plenty of ways.
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Another thrill came for Johnson when he got a special gift from a member of the Detroit Pistons and fellow rookie Killian Hayes. Sewell revealed the jersey that Hayes sent him, and admitted he is going to be getting to some Pistons games next season to support the team.
S/O to @iam_killian and the @DetroitPistons for the jersey!! Much love and will for sure be @ some games this upcoming season 🤞🏽
As Hayes wrote in the caption, it was a “welcome to Detroit” gift for Sewell, and a pretty cool one at that for the rookie lineman to have moving forward.
Hayes Looking Like Another Young Star for Detroit
Though he battled injury during the 2020-21 season, Hayes has taken on the look of a special young player in the making for the Pistons, who have found a way to re-shape their franchise with some youth. Hayes didn’t have much experience in the NBA, but he still managed to have a solid rookie year, with 6.8 points per-game as a rookie who didn’t see much time thanks to lingering injury effects.
Moving forward, Hayes looks like the point guard of the future for the Lions, so it’s cool to see him reaching out to Sewell and giving the Pistons yet another young fan in town.
Sewell’s Stats and Highlights
The tackle from Oregon is a mountain of a man and someone who isn’t easily moved up front. Sewell excels as not only a pass blocker but a run blocker, and is as close to complete of an offensive lineman as there has been in the draft lately. While playing for the Ducks, Sewell became the 2019 Outland Trophy winner as the nation’s best offensive lineman and also was a Unanimous All-American and first-team All-PAC 12 player. Though he sat out 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it did little to dampen his stock as a top pick this April.
Sewell’s tape shows a player who can protect as well as move people up front, a deadly combination for the NFL.
Obviously, Sewell comes to Detroit as a big fan of the city and its teams, so it is nice to see him connecting with a young star in town. This group represents the next generation for the sports in town, and will take the torch from other players who competed in Detroit and rooted for each other while doing so.
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