Stafford On Pro Bowl: 'I Had A Little Something To Prove'
By Ashley Dunkak
@AshleyDunkak
CBS DETROIT - The Pro Bowl is strictly an exhibition, and one that heavily favors offensive players, but Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford still felt good about the fact he played well there.
"I felt like I had a little something to prove, just going out there with the intention of playing well," Stafford said Tuesday after he announced he will be a partner in reopening an abandoned recreation center in Detroit. "I feel like I've had some good years in this league and for one reason or another haven't had a chance to play in that game, and that game is the ultimate game of respect.
"You're in that game because people think that you're one of the best," Stafford continued. "I feel like I missed out on it a couple times and now getting the opportunity to play in it I sure as heck wasn't going to miss out on it on that Sunday, so I went out there, played as good as I could, and it worked out."
Beyond simply playing well, Stafford was named Offensive MVP.
"It meant a lot," Stafford said. "It was fun. Obviously couldn't have done it without all the guys out there. There were some great plays made to complete some of those passes and all that, but it meant a lot to me. I had a little something to prove when I was there."
When Stafford takes the field for the Lions next season, he will do so without longtime center Dominic Raiola, whom Detroit elected not to bring back after 14 years with the organization. The quarterback spoke highly of Raiola, who was a polarizing figure but beloved in the Detroit locker room.
"He's a guy I took basically every snap of my career from," Stafford said. "I've got nothing but great things to say about Dom. The best teammate I've ever played with, no question. Everybody knows he's a smart football player, all that kind of stuff, but just the friend he was to me.
"I came in here in a tough situation getting drafted to a team that lost every single game they played in the year before," Stafford added. "He took me under his wing and showed me the ropes of the city. He stuck up for me through thick and thin, and I the same for him. He's a guy that will be a friend of mine for life and a guy I have a bunch of really good memories with."
The offense, with the implementation of the scheme of new offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, never took off as expected this season. Stafford has attributed that in part to injuries that were suffered by offensive linemen, running backs, tight ends and wide receivers, and he alluded to the fact that getting more game repetitions with everyone should boost production.
"I think offense is a side of the football where continuity is key," Stafford said. "You've got to have guys spend time together, you've got to have reps under your belt, live reps in a game, and I think we'll continue to get those. Obviously the more time that we have together the better we'll be."
Stafford spoke Tuesday at the recreation center at Lipke Park, which was closed in 2014 due to city budget cuts, and announced that his foundation will partner with S.A.Y. Detroit and the City of Detroit to reclaim the center and turn it into a place for children age 8 to 18 to spend time after school playing sports, working on homework and receiving tutoring.
The overall investment is estimated at $10 million over 10 years. Stafford's foundation will donate at least one million dollars, while the city will contribute $675,000. The project will include the construction of football and soccer fields, an ice rink, a baseball diamond and an indoor practice facility. The center will also have dance and recording studios and a 2,500-square foot digital learning center. Students must maintain at least a "C" grade point average and attend school regularly to use the sports facilities, but if their grades are lower, they can still use the sports facilities as long as they sign up for tutoring at the center.
"For me, it's helping the youth," Stafford said. "It's an opportunity to help them not only in the classroom but out in sports. It's going to be fun for me to come over here and bring some of the guys on the team, throw the football around, talk to these kids, go into the academic center, try to help them out there as much as I can.
"It's something that I knew I wasn't just going to write a check and walk away from," Stafford continued, "and I knew, like I said, working with Mitch [Albom, founder of S.A.Y. Detroit] and the City of Detroit, it's going to be run extremely well, and the right people are going to be in the right places doing the right things, and that makes me feel good about putting my name on it."
