Detroit Lions linebacker and captain Alex Anzalone penned an essay in The Players' Tribune published Tuesday that talks about this year's Lions journey and what the future holds for the team.
Titled "To the City of Detroit," Anzalone first talks about the unsuccessful fourth-down attempts in the Lions' NFC Championship game against the San Francisco 49ers.
"We were all behind Dan on the 4th down call. Let’s get that out of the way first. If you could rewind time, we’d all do it again. A hundred times out of a hundred," Anzalone wrote. "On 4th down, in that situation, we're always going for the kill. That mentality took us from 0-10-1 to the NFC Championship game in just a few seasons."
Then, Anzalone got personal and emotional, talking about his wife and his son, returning home from the NFC Championship early Sunday morning, and all the things they've been through, and how Lions fans have supported them.
"The way that this city and all the fans lifted me and my family up during those dark days added a whole other dimension to this season. When our daughter, Carter, was born right before the holidays, and we were playing such great football, and all the Christmas lights and the Lions flags were going up all over the city, it was such a special time. Probably the happiest I’ve ever been," he wrote.
Anzalone also talked about this season, with the win spoiling the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl celebration, the loud atmosphere at Ford Field during the playoffs, and the chance for a Super Bowl run.
"We will get there," Anzalone wrote. "I look at this roster and I see so much to be excited about. Jared. Aidan. Amon-Ra. Penei. Jahmyr. David. Frank. Sam. Dogs everywhere, up and down the roster. But it goes beyond talent. It’s not like a catchy saying you put up on the walls of the facility. It’s not something you can put into words."
He then asked Lions fans if they'll watch the Super Bowl on Sunday and talking about Campbell's message to the team.
"This year, it sucks. Next year, it's us. Believe," he finished the article.
