Romeo Okwara is out for the season after tearing his Achilles in Week 4, but Okwara is far from being out on the Detroit Lions. His position coach, Kelvin Sheppard, detailed how the Lions outside linebacker is staying involved in as much as he can while Okwara is laid up after surgery.
“He texted me things from the game that you might see,” Sheppard said this week. “How can he help still from home, from the training room. ‘Seeing if there’s anything I can do. I’m there for you and the guys.’ So that guy is all-in still.”
Sheppard knows Okwara well. The two were teammates with the New York Giants when Okwara broke into the league, and Sheppard followed Okwara to the Lions for his final NFL season in 2018.
Based on Sheppard’s press conference, these Lions have emerged as a tight-knit bunch. Okwara isn’t the only injured Lions player staying close to the action and trying to remain as much a part of the team as they can while being unable to contribute on the field.
“Hurt, injured, inactive, active, you wouldn’t know the difference,” Sheppard continued. “Because guys are in meeting rooms, they’re paying attention, they’re bought in, they’re asking, ‘What can I do to help, coach? Alright, I know I’m not going to be active this game, but is there anything I can do on the sidelines?’ And you rarely see that. If you really want to peel off the layers and talk truth, you rarely see that, and it has to come within a culture being built.”
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