With the No. 2 overall pick in the 2o22 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions selected Aidan Hutchinson out of the University of Michigan.
Leading up to and following the moment that Hutchinson heard his name called by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, the cameras were following him to document what was a very special night.
Earlier in the week, Hutchinson tweeted out some video footage from Panini America that shows some of his emotional moments from draft night.
The video starts off with a tear-jerking moment in which Hutch presents his mother with special dog tags to honor his grandfather.
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“You got Merrill’s Marauders, take the next step 11-11,” Hutchinson reads to his mom off the back of the dog tags.
Here is the full video.
Draft Night was special from taking it all in with family to hearing the @lions call my name. Thank you @PaniniAmerica for helping me tell my story 🙏 #RatedRookie #onepride pic.twitter.com/kdN9WUZnDz
— Aidan Hutchinson (@aidanhutch97) May 19, 2022
Aidan Hutchinson says his grandfather helped shape him
Back in April, prior to the start of the 2022 NFL Draft, Larry Lage of the Associated Press wrote an outstanding article titled, “Hutchinson shaped by family, including a WWII veteran” in which he goes in-depth about the meaning behind the dog tags.
“He was one of the very few that made it out alive,” Hutchison said in an interview with The Associated Press. “And, that is just an insane story.”
Hutchinson wore his great-grandfather’s dog tag against Ohio State during his freshman year, but was afraid of losing it and didn’t wear them in a game again. His mother, meanwhile, had her grandfather’s dog tag with her at every Michigan game the past three seasons.
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During that interview with Lage, Hutchinson also talked about how his parents have been his support system from the very beginning.
“With my parents, they’ve been my support system since Day 1 and having them at my back is so beneficial for me and my whole career,” Hutchinson told the AP. “I know this transition is going to be difficult for the NFL. But having them, my sisters and my parents, I know they have all my best interest at heart.”
Folks, I don’t care if you bleed blue or bleed green, when you really start digging into Aidan Hutchinson and what he is all about, it is very hard not to root for the kid.
