Had the Lions unveiled new uniforms a year ago, Alim McNeill admits he probably wouldn't have been modeling a jersey. That was before he cut 13 percent body fat and more than 20 pounds ahead of last season: "I wouldn’t have been able to get into it last year," he joked. "I’m just glad they asked me to come."
Not only did the Lions request McNeill's presence Thursday night at Ford Field, they had him take the stage in their crisp new road uniform followed by franchise legend Chris Spielman. This was, well, fitting: McNeill wears the same No. 54 that Spielman once made famous in the middle of the Lions' defense. These days, McNeill is in the middle of everything for the Lions up front.
McNeill, 23, didn't know much about Spielman when he was drafted by the Lions back in 2021. He was born three years after Spielman retired. But he arrived in Detroit the same year that Spielman returned as a special assistant to Lions owner Sheila Ford Hamp and immediately got to talking with the former linebacker about his career. He would learn later that No. 54 was a four-time Pro Bowler on the best Lions teams in the Super Bowl era.
"I had just a little bit of knowledge at the time of it, but not much because I didn’t really watch that era of football," said McNeill. "But going back and doing my research on him, obviously I looked it up, and to know everything I know now, it’s definitely an honor to be wearing it."
These aren't empty words, like the calories McNeill has cut from his diet: candy, Doritos, even red meat. Nor was it lip service when Spielman stood next to McNeill on stage Thursday night and said, "Any time you can honor the people who played before you, just like Barry and Calvin and I tried to honor people that played before us, I think Alim does that. I couldn’t be more proud of anyone on the team wearing No. 54 than Alim. He’s been awesome."
McNeill is one of the bedrocks of the Lions' rebuild under Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell. He arrived in the same draft class that produced All-Pros Penei Sewell and Amon-Ra St. Brown, like Spielman arriving with Bennie Blades and William White in 1988. A third-round pick, McNeill isn't just morphing into one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL. He personifies the violence Detroit wants to be known for on defense. Your lunch is his to take (but you can keep the chips).
The man is by no means suddenly slim, still north of three bills. He's just turned more of his mass into muscle, which was clear last season when he helped the Lions build a wall against the run. He also ramped up his pursuit of quarterbacks, shedding blocks like wasted weight. McNeill has put himself in line for a hefty extension in Detroit, in a league where defensive tackles are getting paid. Asked about Spielman's endorsement, and what it says about his growing stature in the NFL, McNeill said it "means a lot."
"That means I’m trending on the right path, at least. I haven’t done much. I haven’t done anything yet," said McNeill, who's entering his contract season. "I’m not satisfied with anything I’ve done so far. But hearing that from him, from a guy who wore this number in this uniform for this team, it’s huge."
The top three defensive tackles in the NFL last season, according to Pro Football Focus, were Dexter Lawrence, Aaron Donald and Quinnen Williams, two Pro Bowlers and an All-Pro. McNeill ranked sixth, directly ahead of All-Pro Chris Jones. He was fourth against the run. He was also second on the Lions with 34 QB pressures, which happened to be tied with his new teammate DJ Reader -- who ranked 11th among defensive tackles himself. The two of them equal 650 pounds of anger in the trenches.
McNeill, who's happy as anyone off the field, smiled about having a fellow North Carolina native next to him on the field and said, "I can’t even put into words what I think it’s going to be able to do for everybody else around us. Just having a guy like that, a force out there like that, watching the way he plays and how he creates attention for himself, it’s gonna be huge."
In a gutted locker room after the Lions' loss to the 49ers in the NFC title game last season, McNeill said he couldn't think. He said he was "so distraught" he hardly heard a word of Dan Campbell's message to the team, like he was "in and out" of consciousness. Sweat was still running down his face. Asked what it will take to get back to this game and beyond, McNeill broke through the fog and said: "Work. You gotta continue to work." And what has he been up to this offseason?
"Building more muscle," McNeill said Thursday. "Nothing’s changed, same thing, just getting stronger."
In Detroit, No. 54 will always represent Spielman, the Lions' all-time leader in tackles. He still roams the field during practice like an extra set of eyes for defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. Spielman would love for McNeill to make the number his own. McNeill doesn't take this lightly, telling Spielman all the time, "I’m just trying to match up to that standard."
"I just told him right there, I appreciate the words he said for me on stage. I’m just trying to live up to that same name as Coach Spielman," said McNeill. "He did a lot here, he did a lot in this number and it’s only right that I play my hardest and give everybody everything that they need to see out of that number."