Detroit Lions special teams coordinator Dave Fipp loves to start mornings by asking his players if they’re hyped and ready to go, showing his trademark enthusiasm for what’s sure to be a demanding workday.
Fipp doesn’t quite bounce around as much when addressing reporters at the podium, but there’s always a spark in his tone when talking about his group.
And there’s one player who mirrors Fipp’s energy level better than anyone else.
“We’ve got one guy with long hair, and it’s always on fire,” Fipp said Thursday. “He’s usually bouncing off the walls.”
That player is first-year Lion Grant Stuard, the 27-year-old linebacker and special teams ace who earned the title of team captain just months after joining the squad.
A former Mr. Irrelevant, Stuard quickly bonded with the Lions’ culture, bringing his long curly hair and relentless play style to Detroit and becoming a Sunday mainstay.
His appearances as a kick returner this season have been limited, but Stuard is still easy to spot flying up and down the field on returns, coverage units, and field-goal blocks. In seven games, he’s logged 151 special teams snaps and 11 on defense.
What’s been most noticeable since Stuard’s arrival is his passion on and off the gridiron. He’s made a mark as a special teams force and added fire to a joint practice during the preseason against the Miami Dolphins.
“I’m a guy who’s pretty intense,” Stuard told MLive earlier this month. “I like to respond in an intense way at practice—physically, vocally, sometimes emotionally. It’s nothing that lingers, but sometimes you’ve just got to let it out, you know?”
His teammates say that’s exactly who Stuard is all the time.
He brings that same passion every day, always giving maximum effort for the Lions. That hasn’t stopped him from mentoring younger players and teaching them how to carve out a steady NFL role after once being the league’s final draft pick.
It’s not just about being high-energy for attention—Stuard serves as a model for his teammates.
“The intensity he brings—on the field, game days, walkthroughs, practices, meetings—he’s always like that,” fellow linebacker and special teams player Trevor Nowaske told MLive. “He doesn’t flip a switch. He’s always going full throttle, which is awesome and makes everyone else want to match his energy.”
