ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- Soon after Eric Ebron was drafted by the Detroit Lions in May, he looked at the schedule and knew his first-ever game might mean a little bit more to him than even he initially thought.
Yes, his residence is listed as North Carolina and he went to school at the University of North Carolina. And, yes, the Lions head to Carolina in Week 2 for Ebron’s first road game. But Monday night against the New York Giants will be special to him for many reasons.
Ebron thought if the Lions didn’t take him at No. 10 in May, the Giants might have selected him two picks later. Then there’s this: Ebron was born in New Jersey. His father still lives there. He grew up rooting for former tight end Jeremy Shockey, his favorite Giants player.
His family? Giants fans. So the Ebron contingent in Detroit on Monday night will be pulling for their progeny on the field while also watching the team they’ve all come accustomed to rooting for.
“All my family will be there that loves the Giants,” Ebron said. “Other than that, there’s not really any pressure. It’s just another team, another obstacle and just hopefully we win.”
For the Lions to win, they’ll need Ebron to continue the ascent he has made through the final parts of Detroit’s preseason.
Things in Detroit started shaky for Ebron. Some fans were not pleased with the pick, viewing Ebron as a luxury choice on offense when the team’s defense had holes in need of repair. Then Ebron, who had to essentially learn three different roles in the Detroit offense, struggled during spring workouts and early in training camp with assignments and catching the ball.
He was thinking too much, as rookies tend to do early on in their careers. But Ebron eventually settled down and settled into his role in the Lions offense, which remains somewhat in question but consists of him lining up all over Detroit’s various formations.
“He has grown within the system,” Lions coach Jim Caldwell said. “He is really diligent. He’s one of those guys who has a lot of pride and really works at it. He does not like to make mistakes, does not take it lightly.
“He studies and he’s gotten a real good grasp of the system at this point. Is he where he’s going to be five games from now? No, but I think you’ll continue to see him improve and I think he’s ready for it as well.”
Growth has been rapid for Ebron throughout his career. He started high school as a basketball player. By the middle of high school, he turned to football and earned a scholarship from North Carolina before he played in a high school game. As he picked up the game then, the first things he learned to stress are things he still focuses on now.
They were things that briefly abandoned him as he began his Lions career, but have already returned.
“First thing I believed in was catching the damned ball. That’s what I do,” Ebron said. “That’s one of the first things you believe in. Other than that, just after the catch, if you can always make one guy miss or break a tackle, you’re destined for big things.
“That’s what makes Calvin Johnson so good. You know, he doesn’t only catch the ball, he breaks the tackle and sprints 90 some-odd yards. Just what makes great athletes even better.”
Ebron isn’t comparing himself to Johnson. He’s a long way from that. But Johnson was part of why the Lions drafted Ebron. The hope is his presence, his ability to be another big target, might give Johnson enough room to do what Ebron described on an even more frequent basis.
So what can the Lions expect from Ebron? He isn’t saying just yet. He is waiting to show it with a bunch of his family and friends watching from the stands.
“We’ll see,” Ebron said. “On Monday night.”