ALLEN PARK -- “B.T.B.”
That means “Be the best.” It’s what Roy Lopez’s family texts him before every game. It’s the motto he’s lived by his entire life. And it’s the one the Detroit Lions defensive lineman will wear on his cleats against the New York Giants this weekend for the NFL’s My Cause, My Cleats.
It’s also his motto for The Roy Lopez Foundation, which aims to inspire and support young athletes through the power of sports. It’s all about youth mental health and wellness. While there is an athletic focus, it’s so much more than that.
“I literally have BTB tattooed on me,” Lopez said. “It was something that I was raised on, relayed to me my whole life, ever since I was a young kid. And to be full circle now, it’s the motto of my foundation. Every single game day, my family texts me, ‘BTB. I love you. Go get what you deserve.’
“We started a foundation because we realized what we tell each other is actually a great message. I was blessed and fortunate enough to be told that my whole life, so why not share it?”
He comes from a family of high school football coaches, from his dad to his uncles. And his sisters, who are on the board for his foundation, coach him, too. Everyone has a role in his life on and off the field, and Lopez wouldn’t have it any other way.
The first-year Lions defender has been running the foundation with his family for five years. They host an annual free youth camp, with more than 500 children and nearly 100 volunteers attending each one in Phoenix. Lopez’s family has a role in those, as do a collection of former teammates and coaches.
The foundation has worked with the Special Olympics and Chicanos Por La Causa to help underserved children, hosted stocking-stuffing events and has plans to do more in Detroit.
It’s become Lopez’s favorite part of the job. He realizes not everyone gets to have a foundation, let alone run one with their family. Earlier this week, his aunt represented him at an event -- something his family regularly does during the season.
The most fulfilling aspect of Lopez’s foundation is when he gets to speak to the attendees, for them to see he’s not just the NFL player with his name on the shirts. He’s there telling his story, sharing the moment, and making real connections.
He watches drills with a smile on his face, with a water gun in hand, making the work about the work, but adding a dash of his fun-loving personality and ingrained work ethic to the experience. Heck, even before he spoke to MLive, he hit us with a fake basketball crossover before getting real. It’s that personality and focus that have made him a favorite in the locker room and among coaches in Detroit.
Lopez takes that mentality into those camps and in his daily life. Whether it’s spending time with one of the 500 kids there, making them smile or sharing a laugh, being the best takes many forms for Lopez, and that goes far beyond the field.
“You don’t understand what a smile, what a laugh does for somebody, so I think that’s the coolest thing, is to be the best you can every single day,” Lopez told MLive.
“Be the best brother, sister, friend, uncle, teammate, coach, husband, wife, you can be every single day. Don’t take anything for granted.”
When Lopez would have a wrestling tournament while growing up, they would run from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., and “my whole family’s there.” That hasn’t stopped, as his family still shows up in some form for games, and they “let it be known they’re there.”
Lopez, 28, was born in Tempe. He played at New Mexico State, then one season at Arizona, and was drafted in 2021’s sixth round. Lopez was also a standout wrestler at Arizona’s Mesquite High School, going a remarkable 113-3 during his career.
“I used to be the kid that when I lost in wrestling, I cried and walked off and be all pissed,” Lopez previously said. “My uncles always tell me, ‘Leave no doubt to be the best ...’ I think of them, think of my whole family, and the biggest thing I ever want to do is just to make them proud, and here I am.”
Lopez has made an impact during his first 10 games in Detroit, embracing the same mentality that got him to the NFL. He’s carved out a solid role on the defensive line, showing he’s so much more than just a nose tackle. While interior defensive linemen don’t always jump off the screen, look at the fact that Lopez’s role and impact have grown after Alim McNeill returned, and Tyleik Williams was drafted in the first round.
Lopez has played double-digit snaps in every game. He has one sack, 19 tackles, two tackles for loss and has played with so much leverage he was deployed to help stop Philadelphia’s “tush push” last weekend. Lopez ranks 18th among 124 interior defensive linemen in run defense, and 27th overall at his position, per Pro Football Focus.
His wrestling background helps him in those dogfight moments in the trenches when bodies are flying in a compact space. Lopez fights like every day on the field could be his last, and he’s using that to take his career to new heights for a contender, and to give back to his community.
He was the highest-graded defender in Weeks 8 and 10, per PFF, and keeps cementing his role despite a loaded rotation. Lopez has made the most of his opportunities, and the Lions keep turning to him for more, even with pieces returning and playing well.
Dan Campbell called Lopez disruptive, unblockable at times and quietly productive. And that’s why the Lions coach wanted him here, too.
“It’s a blessing to be a part of this room, man,” Lopez told MLive. “And one thing I learned in my younger career was that you learn and view everybody as a teacher.
“DJ (Reader)’s a legend. And then you get Alim back, and that’s $100 million, right? Yeah, that kid’s different. I’ve been hearing about Alim for years. We came out the same year (2021), and he’s another legend in the making.”
It’s that “be the best” mentality where Lopez has continued to grow and play meaningful snaps despite playing on a defensive line with Reader, McNeill and Williams -- players the Lions have invested more time and money in. He loves learning from the rookie to the 10-year veteran, as well.
Lopez landed on Detroit’s radar when the Lions played the Arizona Cardinals in 2024. Kelvin Sheppard heard how Frank Ragnow and offensive line coach Hank Fraley were talking about Lopez. The defensive coordinator didn’t know much about him, then he turned on the tape and was blown away.
“When I heard Hank Fraley and Frank Ragnow say, ‘That dude’s real and that’s one of the best noses I’ve gone against this year,’” Sheppard said. “And it’s like, ‘Whoa, who are they talking about?’
“He’s been phenomenal, and you’re talking about an ultra-team guy, selfless. He doesn’t care if he plays one or 50 snaps; he’s going to make the most of his opportunities.”
Lopez laughed when told about Sheppard’s comments. The 6-foot-2, 312-pound defensive lineman knew the defensive coordinator was praising his game and took the comments as a positive.
Still, he’s used to people not knowing who he is until they see him up close and personal.
“People not knowing who I am, it’s been like that my whole life,” Lopez said. “Because, you know, out of high school, I went to New Mexico State, right? Then I went to Arizona. I was a sixth-round pick. There’s no reason for anybody to really know who Roy Lopez is.
“And I think that’s just another thing that I kind of get told a lot, man, is ‘didn’t really know who you were. But, hey, you nice,’ right?”
When Lopez sees his cleats or checks his phone on Sunday, the three words his family has always sent will be there. “BTB” -- the standard that carried him from wrestling mats to Detroit, and still does.
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