For most players, a first NFL start is memorable. For Giovanni Manu, it was life-changing.
The Detroit Lions’ young offensive tackle made his first career start in the team’s 37–24 win over the Bengals, filling in for veteran Taylor Decker. And while the day came with its share of ups and downs, including two sacks, Manu’s honesty, humility, and gratitude showed exactly why he fits this locker room so well.
“When I stepped out there, it was definitely a moment to take in,” Manu said after the game. “What was great was that everyone on the sideline was supporting me. The amount of strength coaches up to coaches that came up to me and said they were super proud of me, it was amazing. I had a long talk with Hank (Fraley) on the side as soon as the anthem broke. He told me not to think, go play, and that I deserve this moment. I definitely teared up a bit just ’cause, you know, my journey, I never thought I would start or be in the NFL. Just where I came from and how far I’ve come, it was definitely a moment to take back.”
Giovanni Manu Lions First Start
Owning the Mistakes
Manu didn’t sugarcoat his debut. He gave up two sacks, and he owned every bit of it.
“Yeah, you know, two sacks, that’s all I’m going to say. There’s a standard in our room and a standard I hold myself to, and that’s just not the standard,” he admitted.
But rather than make excuses, he broke down where he went wrong, and what he’ll fix.
“For the errors I had in the game, the two sacks I gave up, the first one was just, you know, I didn’t hear the kill on the play. And then the second one was just, I was too aggressive on the run sell. But other than that, I think the coaching staff did a good job making practice intense for me. They gave me good looks.”
That last sentence mattered. For Manu, practice felt harder than the game itself, a testament to Dan Campbell’s preparation philosophy.
“The speed, if I’m being honest, wasn’t that much different to me. Practice was more intense than what I faced out there,” he said. “Coach Campbell and them were blasting crowd noise throughout practice the whole time, and that was ten times louder than what this was.”
A Mentor Named Decker
Though Taylor Decker couldn’t play, his influence was everywhere. Manu said the veteran left tackle was his second coach on the sideline all week.
“Oh, he helped a lot,” Manu said. “I have Coach Hank, but Taylor was like a second Hank to me. Anything I needed help with this whole week, I’d go talk to him. Even on the sideline, after every drive, he was right there telling me what I could do better and what I did good at. It’s vital to have someone like that, a veteran guy like him. I’m always appreciative of Deck, and he’s always a mentor to me.”
It’s the kind of mentorship that has become part of the Lions’ DNA, veterans investing in the next generation. And for Manu, that investment is paying off early.
Taking in the Moment
The emotions hit before kickoff.
“Just doing my own warm-up before the game, taking the field by myself, and then doing the national anthem and talking to Hank after, it just hit me,” Manu said. “Just a kid from an island, played in Canada, starting for one of the top teams in the NFL, starting at left tackle, it’s a dream come true.”
He wasn’t exaggerating. Born in Tonga and raised in British Columbia, Manu’s path to the NFL was anything but typical. Now he’s starting for a Super Bowl contender, protecting Jared Goff, and holding his own against NFL-level speed.
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Practicing the Campbell Way
Manu credited Detroit’s intense practices for making his debut manageable.
“I also expected it to be like ten times more loud, but it wasn’t,” he said with a grin. “I was able to just lock in. Coach Campbell and them were blasting crowd noise throughout practice the whole time, and that was ten times louder than what this was.”
That preparation paid off from the very first drive.
“You feel like your offense took their crowd out of it pretty early just with the way you opened up that first drive?”
“Yeah, for sure,” Manu replied. “Not just that, but the sea of blue I saw in the stadium, it got to a point where as soon as we broke the national anthem, I heard the ‘Jared Goff’ chants. I instantly was like, ‘Okay, this is a home game.’ When we went on offense, I barely even heard the crowd. I don’t even think we went on silent cadence that whole drive.”
The Bottom Line
Gio Manu’s first start wasn’t perfect, but it was powerful. Two sacks, one dream realized, and a glimpse of what the Lions’ next wave of linemen looks like.
He may have been an “island kid” just a few years ago, but now he’s part of Detroit’s foundation, learning from one of the best in Taylor Decker, molded by one of the league’s most intense O-line coaches in Hank Fraley, and protected by a culture that believes in him.
The kid from Canada didn’t just survive his first start. He earned it.