At the end of just about every day last season, Aidan Hutchinson would get home and order take-out -- typically a chicken caesar wrap with sweet potato fries. One of those meals that isn't nearly as healthy as it sounds. Not when you stack one on top of the other, every day, over five months. With a laugh, Hutchinson admitted Thursday, "Just couldn't be good for inflammation at all."
As the season went on, Hutchinson said he lost "a little leanness and a lot of strength." Which is hard to believe, because he sure seemed to get stronger as the year progressed. The second overall pick had a debut season for the ages and wound up finishing second to Jets All-Pro corner Sauce Gardner for Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Then he spent the offseason getting himself right. Hutchinson, 22, put more thought into his diet, hired a personal chef and implemented meditation into his daily routine, something he started midway through last season when he found his stride in the NFL. The results were clear when Hutchinson met with reporters after the Lions' third practice of OTA's and looked ... robust.
"The difference in how I feel over this year of time, I feel stronger than ever, I feel more mobile than ever," he said. "Having an offseason and just taking my time to focus on some of my body deficiencies, I think it's helped me a ton. I can't wait."
That's the general mood around Allen Park: the Lions are raring to go. They know what they did in the second half of last season, when an 8-2 run nearly propelled them into the playoffs, and they know what their front office did this offseason, led by GM Brad Holmes. As Hutchinson said, "Looks like the boys are trying to load up on defense."
"It gets me fired up, because you know what Brad and Dan (Campbell) and what those guys are doing. They're trying to make the push for right now."
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So is Hutchinson. He looks around the Lions’ huddle, sees the upgrades in the secondary and gets to thinking, “They just went and got some guys in the backend to make that quarterback hold it for a little longer." And every extra split second counts for Hutchinson, who led all rookies last season in both sacks (9.5) and QB pressures (53). Between tighter coverage behind him and a quicker burst of his own, Hutchinson has the tools in year two to turn more of those pressures into sacks.
Naturally, he says his "confidence right now is really through the roof."
"Me personally, I feel like I’m just on a completely different level. Instinctually, my explosiveness, everywhere on the board I feel like I’ve taken myself to the next level," Hutchinson said. "And as a team, this defense, it’s definitely different this year looking around the huddle and a bunch of guys who’ve served in wars, dudes, just older vets, especially in the backend, who’ve seen it all. Yeah, it’s a different vibe."
Hutchinson did it all for the Lions last season, while playing the second most snaps on defense. He harassed quarterbacks, took down running backs and even picked off a few passes. He was the force they envisioned, especially as Hutchinson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn got on the same page. The rookie really took off once Glenn turned him loose more often from a two-point stance, where Hutchinson can use his vision to his advantage.
Glenn said Thursday that entering this year, he and Hutchinson “know exactly what to expect out of” each other. And as the Lions “continue to put him in a position to be successful,” Hutchinson will “take another step as far as being a dominant player, on the edge, in the run and in the passing game.”
At times last season, Hutchinson was dominant as it was. In flashes, so was Detroit’s defense. Both will make the other better this season. It's only May, but Hutchinson and the Lions have already come a long way in 12 months. The next 12 await.
"I think we can do something special," he said.
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