The Detroit Lions officially introduced new offensive tackle Larry Borom on Thursday at the Meijer Performance Center, and the Detroit native made it clear the moment meant far more than just signing another NFL contract.
Borom, who signed a one-year free-agent deal with the Lions, returns home after spending the early part of his career with the Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins.
Throughout his introductory press conference, Borom spoke about returning to Detroit, the emotional reaction from his family, and how excited he is to join one of the NFL’s most explosive offenses.
Below is everything Borom said during his first press conference as a Detroit Lion.
On why Detroit was the right fit
“It’s explosive. Everything in this offense — all the weapons — the whole offense is built for explosion. Being able to come back home and be with my family was another key component.”
On his Detroit roots
“A lot of my family is still here. I grew up in Oak Park, was born in Detroit. I went to Brother Rice and went to Oak Park schools growing up until high school. I’m a hometown kid, so all my family is still here.”
On his family’s reaction to signing with the Lions
“Extremely ecstatic. My mom was crying as soon as I called her and told her.”
On following the Lions while playing for other teams
“It’s funny because I feel like a lot of players, no matter who you play for, you always have that team you check on to see how they’re doing. So I always checked in and looked. Yeah, I’ve been a fan.”
On how he fits with the Lions
“Just being big, physical, and being able to move. I feel like those are key components of being a good offensive lineman, and I feel like I can do all three of those things and do them well.”
On signing with his hometown team
“It’s surreal. It still doesn’t feel real because this is home. I don’t really know how to explain it to people. I’m ecstatic. I really can’t put it into words.”
On what he’s most looking forward to
“Really just being with my family and being able to be around them year-round instead of just during the offseason or going back and forth between OTAs.”
On the emotional phone call with his mom
“As soon as my agent called and everything was finalized, I called her. She was almost breaking down. She’s my rock. She’s everything. Her and my wife are over there. I don’t want to get emotional up here, but she means the world to me.”
On whether he expected Detroit to be an option
“Honestly, I didn’t know. When my agent called once the negotiating period started, we weighed our options and it was almost a no-brainer.”
On Detroit’s recruiting pitch
“Honestly, it wasn’t a huge pitch. We just weighed our options and looked at what the best fit would be and went with that.”
On whether he expects to start
“I’ve played four different positions in my career. Any way I can help the team move forward, I’m willing to do whatever — whether I start or not. I’m a team player.”
On preferred position along the offensive line
“Honestly, no. I don’t have a favorite position. It’s more about knowing you’re going to be in one spot and having a fluid understanding of that position. But I’ve been the swing guy — I’ve been a little bit of everything.”
On playing with Penei Sewell
“I’ve known Penei since before the draft. We have the same agent. He’s been a close friend of mine, so it’s fun to get to work with him again.”
On Lions head coach Dan Campbell
“He’s a fiery guy. He gets after it. He cares about his players a lot. Even being on another team and watching from afar, you can tell how much he truly cares about everyone in this building. It’s an honor.”
On how Detroit shaped him
“Detroit grew me into the man I am today. This city is full of people who get up and get after it. It’s nothing but hustlers and hard workers. I take a lot of pride in that. Being from here and being able to put the jersey on is everything.”
On what Miami did for his confidence
“Going to Miami reinstilled a lot of confidence in me — just being very confident in my play style and the way I have success in this league. Being able to bring that here is everything.”
On other teams pursuing him
“There were a couple other teams. I’ll just leave it at that.”
On spending the offseason in Detroit
“Yeah, I’m here in the offseason.”
On relationships with current Lions players
“Andrei Iosivas went to Missouri — when I was leaving, he was coming in. Penei Sewell too. That’s about it.”
On joining the Lions offensive line during a transition
“I think it’s very positive. I get to set my own standard — how people view me and what I bring.”
On what Sewell told him about Detroit’s culture
“The culture is awesome. We talked about it. It was good.”
On the identity of the Lions offensive line
“Just bring a physical style of play. It’s already very physical. Just keep the standard.”
