NFL draft opens with Eminem, Roger Goodell, Detroit Lions stars and 'JAR-ED GOFF!' chant
The Detroit Lions introduced the world to the city with a warm welcome to kick off the NFL draft.
Current players and past legends joined NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Detroit icon Eminem on the draft stage in the heart of Campus Martius Park to start the 2024 NFL draft. Jared Goff, freshly-extended Amon-Ra St. Brown, Aidan Hutchinson, Calvin Johnson and Barry Sanders walked out onto the stage with a dramatic entrance.
Goodell came out first to a wave of boos, as is custom, then it turned into a raucous cheer when Eminem came out.
Then, The Lions legends graced the stage, and the crowd went crazy.
St. Brown, now $120 million richer, was the first player to greet the crowd. He welcomed the massive crowd in attendance and then started a chant for his quarterback standing behind him.
"Before we get off the stage, I need to hear one thing, JA-RED GOFF, JA-RED GOFF," St. Brown said, before trailing off and letting the strong Honolulu blue contingent in attendance take it from there.
Goff and Hutchinson also addressed the crowd.
"Welcome to Detroit, let's go baby!" Goff yelled into the mic.
Hutchinson then took over, and also greeted the crowd standing under a massive poster of the franchise defensive end.
"Let's turn up tonight baby, let's go!"
The crowd then broke out into more Goff chants to fill in the silence before the Lions' players exited the stage for the draft to begin.
The Goff chants have become the primary unifying call for Lions fans in 2024. Goff helped lead the Lions to the NFC North title and the franchise's first playoff victory in over 30 years in a nearly perfect season for the Lions. Detroit was on the doorstep of the Super Bowl, but came up just short in an NFC championship game collapse to the 49ers.
"It’s been amazing, man," he told reporters earlier this month. "I love it here and would love to be here for a long time. It’s been really special like I mentioned playing in front of these fans and being able to provide a winning culture in the last year and a half or so. To see them experience that and be able to be a part of that has been fun but by no means are we satisfied or happy to be here or any of that. It’s about what’s next now."
Goodell was then booed again.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: NFL draft opens with Eminem, Detroit Lions stars, 'JAR-ED GOFF!' chant
