The ubiquitous nature of Matthew Stafford

August 5, 2:06 PMDetroit Lions ExaminerChris Morgan

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Stafford, in a rare moment of not doing anything. (AP Photo)

Yet again, Matthew Stafford has been interviewed by ESPN, this time on the Fantasy Focus Football podcast. I actually did listen to it, as I am a fan of that podcast anyway. He provided a couple interesting pieces of football information, including his belief that Brandon Pettigrew will be a real red zone threat this season. He also made a couple of genuinely funny remarks, and as per usual came across as a nice guy. He also promoted a Gatorade cause regarding proper hydration, which is important. As we all learned from Dr. Strangelove, we must protect our precious bodily fluids.

However, upon listening to his podcast, I was reminded of all the other Matthew Stafford interviews I have come across and such. Stafford has been everywhere recently. That got me thinking; has there ever been a Lions player with such media presence? Also, how odd is it after all these seasons of losing to have a Lions player who is sought after by the media?

Maybe it's just a result of Stafford being a nice guy that he is willing to do all these interviews and be so cooperative with the media. It also, of course, is due to the fact that he was the first overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. However, I don't remember most previous high picks getting this much ink (and radio/podcast) time. That might just be because I am paying more attention since Stafford is a Lion, but regardless he has already spent a ton more time getting interviewed than probably every other player currently on the Lions put together.

That is a good thing, but an odd feeling. For year's the Lions have been more or less a laughingstock in the NFL. Most people outside of Lions fans didn't care much about the players and what the team was doing. Suddenly, a Lions player is a desired interview. People want to talk to a Detroit Lion. Barry Sanders was popular, but he wasn't exactly what you would call gregarious. He was an amazing player, but not much of a character. I'd take a Barry Sanders over a Chad Ochocinco nee Johnson any day of the week, but it's still nice to have a player who is a media presence on the team. It brings more national attention to the Lions, which I am all for.

However, there is also a chance Stafford never pans out. It that happens, he'll be rendered just another Lions punchline and nobody will care to interview anymore. On the other hand, what if he does pan out? He could conceivably be a Tom Brady or a Peyton Manning type NFL presence... as a Detroit Lion. How bizarre would that feel? Having one of the Lions being one of the faces of the NFL? It would bring a relevance to the team that there hasn't been in ages.

Stafford handles himself well enough in interviews and he already has cache due to his status as a first overall pick. All he needs to do is what is most important, perform on the field. If he can do that, we might have to get used to Matthew Stafford being a familiar face not just in the state, but around the country. If Stafford pans out, and a decent team is built around him, he could bring the Lions to the forefront of the NFL. No pressure, Matthew.

In other Lions draft pick news, Charles Rogers has been interviewed by ESPN, and here's a taste of said interview. Geez, I wonder why he never panned out? What a waste of a pick by Matt Millen, who makes a cameo in that clip. Clearly, somebody didn't put enough stock into Rogers' character when they made that pick. One of the 800 reasons the Lions are where they are today. However, now there is nowhere to go but up, and hopefully Matthew Stafford will end up being to serve as a marker in the future of when the Lions turned things around. Him and Louis Delmas, that is. That guy's going to be great I think.