Don Drysdale
Kindle Vildor Shared His Thoughts On One Of The Craziest Plays We Have Seen
During the Detroit Lions’ first mandatory minicamp workout in Allen Park, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press had a chance to speak with cornerback Kindle Vildor about one of the pivotal moments from last season’s NFC Championship game against the San Francisco 49ers.
A Play To Forget
The memorable incident occurred when Vildor and 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk contested a long pass thrown by 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy. The ball, initially aimed over Aiyuk’s head, struck Vildor in the facemask as both players leaped for it. Aiyuk managed to catch the ball on the rebound while Vildor tumbled to his back. Shortly after, Purdy threw a touchdown to Aiyuk, significantly swinging the momentum in favor of the 49ers.
Vildor’s Perspective on the Play
Reflecting on the footage of the play, Vildor expressed his disbelief to Birkett. “I was just watching and I’m like, ‘They got so damn lucky, man,'” he explained after the first day of Lions’ minicamp. “Dang, man. This is crazy.” He later described the sequence, noting, “It was crazy. It just, it don’t make — I couldn’t believe it because I was so far on top of him, so I’m like, ‘OK, it’s coming right to me,’ and like kind of last minute, he kind of put his hand up, now I kind of put my hand up and I kind of just lost it and it just hit me right in the face and it just ended up going right to him.”
Vildor humorously added, “It was just God was on their side for some reason or something, man. I just couldn’t believe it. I didn’t know what happened. I’m like, ‘What? Dang.’ That junk was crazy, man.”
Moving On and Learning
While discussing the overall game, Vildor acknowledged that his error was difficult to accept, especially since the Lions lost. “It was tough to swallow right after the game just cause we ended up losing,” he mentioned.
Fast forward to the present and Vildor finds himself looking forward. He shared that he is “definitely over” the play and is focused on contributing to a more successful season for the Lions. He reflected on the lesson learned: “Just looking back on it, I mean just get the ball down. Just get it down at all costs, but it was a learning moment for me and I feel like the opportunity will come and we’ll make that play for sure.”
TL;DR (too long didn’t read)
- Critical Play Recap: Detroit Lions cornerback Kindle Vildor was involved in a crucial NFC Championship game moment when a pass from 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy deflected off his facemask into the hands of receiver Brandon Aiyuk, significantly shifting the game’s momentum towards the 49ers.
- Vildor’s Reaction and Reflection: Reflecting on the play, Vildor described it as a moment of sheer luck for the 49ers and has since viewed the incident as a critical learning experience to improve his defensive responses in similar future situations.
- Looking Forward: Vildor is now focused on the upcoming season, using his experience from the play as motivation to enhance his performance and help the Detroit Lions achieve better results.
A Fresh Outlook
Kindle Vildor’s mishap was one of the critical errors that affected the Lions’ performance in the latter half of the NFC Championship game. Had he managed to intercept or break up the pass, the Lions might have had a shot at the Super Bowl. Now, with a new season ahead, Vildor is using his experience as a springboard for improvement and is ready to help his team achieve greater heights.
