Getty Jeff Okudah celebrates a big play for the Lions.
The Detroit Lions didn’t have a great 2020 season on the field, and it was quite a rude awakening for rookie cornerback Jeff Okudah.
Coming from Ohio State, Okudah was accustomed to success. When he got to the Lions, however, that took a major turn during his rookie season. Okudah fought inconsistent play as well as injury on his end, but he also fought a bit of dysfunction in his new organization, which was something that he simply wasn’t used to considering where he went to college and the type of team he dealt with while there.
As Okudah said when meeting with the media, it’s been a learning experience in his first year with the Lions, and one of the biggest lessons is dealing with dysfunction and trying to figure out how to make it through in a successful way. It’s been a huge lesson from his first year with the team for him to reflect on given what went wrong and what could be better for the team.
Here’s a bunch more from Jeff Okudah, on having to learn how to handle adversity and the “dysfunction” that hurt the Lions this season:
“You kinda get your little fantasy bubble popped and now you’re in the real world.”
Within, Okudah seems to hint that in his opinion, the Lions didn’t have the needed harmony between the coaching staff and front office in order to be successful. That’s a thoughtful and intelligent response, and something that is surprising a first-year player would seem to understand so early in his career.
Even though Okudah hasn’t been in the organization long, its pretty telling that Okudah seems to understand just what the Lions could need.
Trey Flowers: Nothing Went Right for Lions
Another more veteran of the Lions put things in even more blunt terms. Defensive end Trey Flowers said that according to him, it was more about what went wrong this season for the Lions rather than what went right. That’s a bold statement because Flowers had been very open about being in the corner of both Matt Patricia and Bob Quinn given they worked together before in the NFL.
Trey Flowers on what went wrong: I don’t think it went wrong. I don’t think it ever went right for an extended period of time.
Moving forward, Flowers will be a big part of the mix for the team given his contract, and he is looking for the same type of cohesion that Okudah is in terms of having a staff and front office who are on the same page along with their players. No matter whether in the case of a veteran or a rookie, it’s nice to see this level of introspection for the Lions heading into a key offseason even from a veteran player.
Jeff Okudah Rookie Stats
During his shortened season, Okudah was not the statistical dynamo that folks expected coming out of the draft given his position. He collected only 47 tackles, 1 interception and 2 passes defended and those are the numbers he finishes with. This year, Okudah was more known for the plays he has given up on the field in certain weeks rather than the ones he has made on the field.
This season, Okudah has had a lot of trouble to deal with, and the fact he was able to take an honest look and provide a thoughtful response about his team is good for his future and career.
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