When you think about loyalty in the NFL, it’s rare to find a rookie willing to turn down dozens of opportunities just to be part of one team’s culture. But that’s exactly what Ahmed Hassanein did.
After being released earlier this year, the **Detroit Lions’**2025 sixth-round pick had his choice of landing spots — literally. According to his agent, 31 other teams wanted him for their practice squad.
But Hassanein only wanted one.
“My agent was kinda handling all that,” Hassanein said as quoted by Pride of Detroit. “He was telling me, ‘Oh, 31 (teams) was wanting you on their practice squad,’ because I don’t count (on the roster) as an (international) player. So I went, ‘Man, I’m not going anywhere. I want to stay here, because these people believe in me, and I’m going to give it all I’ve got.’ Because loyalty is a big thing for me. I’m honored.”
That’s the type of energy Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes have built this organization around — belief, grit, and family.
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The Toughest Part: “I Was Completely Off”
When the Lions released Hassanein, the reality of being “completely off” the team hit hard.
“I’m completely off,” Hassanein told reporters after Wednesday’s practice. “The iPad was taken and everything. I’m completely off the team.”
Players who are cut can’t have contact with staff or access to team materials. For a 23-year-old rookie who loved the environment, that distance stung.
“They couldn’t really contact me either,” Hassanein explained. “That part was tough a little bit because I wanted to keep connection just to feel like that again. But now that I have that connection again, I’m never going to leave the opportunity or take it for granted.”
The passion in his voice said it all, this wasn’t just about a job. It was about belonging.
The Feeling of Being Coached Again
Returning to Allen Park, Hassanein didn’t just light up when talking about football; he lit up when talking about people.
“Now I want to say ‘What’s up’ to coach every time I see him or ‘Hey Coach, what’s up? How’s it going today?’ Having that feeling of being coached again, it means the world to me.”
That genuine joy and humility are exactly what the Lions love in their locker room. For a young edge rusher learning from veterans like Aidan Hutchinson, Alim McNeill, and D.J. Reader, the chance to grow in this system clearly means everything.
“This Is What a Super Bowl Team Looks Like”
Hassanein’s decision to stay says a lot, not just about him, but about the franchise itself.
Once viewed as one of the league’s most dysfunctional teams, the Detroit Lions have become a destination. A player who spent only one summer in the building came away convinced that this is the place to be.
“It’s a blessing, man,” Hassanein said. “Just to be able to sit in on the team meeting again, and just to have that experience, it means everything to me, and I want to give it all I got. I want to help this team do whatever it takes to win: be on scout team, being whatever, honestly, being whatever—just help my teammates and be the best version of myself.”
That’s the kind of attitude that’s contagious, and it’s why this version of the Lions feels different.
The Bottom Line
Ahmed Hassanein turned down 31 other teams because he believes in the Detroit Lions, and they believe in him. His return to Detroit’s practice squad isn’t just about depth, it’s about culture, loyalty, and buying into something bigger.
In an era where players chase opportunity, Hassanein chose belief. And that speaks volumes about what Dan Campbell’s Lions have built in Detroit.