Quote:
Originally Posted by The Bad Guy
He's going to Detroit.
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In the thread last week, there was a piece from the Detroit Free Press that I posted that stated he isn't set on having to be in Detroit. Here is the article...
http://www.freep.com/article/2009042...+become+a+Lion
LB Larry Foote says he would like to become a Lion
By MICHAEL ROSENBERG • FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER • April 28, 2009
Larry Foote wants to play for his hometown Lions.
“Ain’t no doubt about that,” Foote said from his home in Michigan today, after he learned that the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers plan to release him. “I would love to come home. My family is here. I just bought a house here. It would be great. And just to answer critics: I’m not a veteran trying to come home and cash out on my hometown team. I’m a baller first. I wouldn’t sacrifice that for nothing.”
Before Lions fans get too excited, though, please understand: this is hypothetical.
“I would love to come home, but whoever wants me, that’s who I’m going to start with first,” Foote said.
Foote, who played at Detroit Pershing and Michigan, started every game for the Steelers in the last five years and helped Pittsburgh win two Super Bowls. He turns 29 in June, and he was only released for financial reasons and because the Steelers have a talented replacement, Lawrence Timmons, on the roster.
“I’m actually happy,” Foote said. “I’d be a little more happy if they did it in February, but it all worked out. The last couple of years, they got me locked into a certain role where, quite frankly, I couldn’t grow from it anymore. As a football player, I was tired of that situation. I’m a three-down linebacker, and they tried to turn me into a two-down linebacker, take me off the field in passing situations. I don’t want to be sitting back in a role, knowing I could do more.
“It gives me a fresh start, a new opportunity to show myself. There is a lot of football left inside of me. Quite frankly, I don’t know if people have seen the best of me because I’ve been locked up the last couple of years.”
Because of his age and talent level, Foote would seem to be attractive to the Lions, who desperately need linebacker help. But the Lions play a 4-3 defense, and the Steelers play a 3-4, so the Lions would have to decide whether Foote would fit their scheme. He said today he envisions himself as a middle linebacker “but I can play outside” if necessary.
As for the Lions …
“I don’t necessarily say that’s my first choice, but if it’s a tie with other teams, the Lions are definitely going to win,” he said. “But I’m getting a lot of calls from other teams as we speak now.”
Foote added that, ideally, he would like to sign with somebody “as soon as possible. A lot of teams are doing minicamps this week. I would want to get in there and learn the playbook.”
But Foote might not be able to sign anywhere too quickly. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Steelers don't plan to officially release him until after this weekend's minicamp.