Detroit Lions tight end Eric Ebron has always been doubted. Yet his attitude has always been stellar. Maybe it’s time we adopted that mantra.
Since being drafted by the Detroit Lions in 2014, tight end Eric Ebron has been a center of attention by fans. His early struggles, along with being in the shadow of some superstars drafted in the same year, have been focal points for those that believe Ebron is considered a “bust.”
Last week, Nate Adkins of MLive.com wrote about how Ebron is already helping out rookie tight end Michael Roberts, reassuring Roberts that it’s OK to struggle and it’ll help because he won’t have to deal with the backlash that Ebron was getting right out of the gate.
And how Ebron handles that spotlight is what makes him even better. Ebron’s ability to deal with all the noise that surrounds him, fans booing him, articles calling him out saying that he isn’t good enough, or reminding fans of who else Detroit could have drafted.
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Heck, even last year Terry Bradshaw ripped into him for struggling.
In the past three seasons Ebron has struggled, but at the same time, progressed immensely. Though he still hasn’t played all 16 games yet, his stat line has continued to trend upwards.
The fact that he put up the numbers he did last season, while basically being the only viable tight end on the roster, and maybe the fifth option in the passing game is astounding. All of this while fighting off ankle and knee injuries.
Oh, and oddly enough, even though the other tight ends on the roster made absolutely no impact whatsoever, fans still didn’t think Ebron gave this team enough. That’s just confusing. Ebron wasn’t drafted to be a blocker and I think we all knew that.
Still, he did a fine job last season sans giving up once against the Bears. And after that fiasco, he actually owned up to it and called himself out.
Ebron may not be a superstar yet, but the guy already has the superstar attitude. He owns up to his mistakes, trying to improve in every way. He knows the things that are being said about him, goes out on Sunday to let his game do the talking and they still don’t go away.
He knows how much pressure is placed on him, but doesn’t crumble. And through all this, all the negative things being said, he’s still smiling and putting on the pads every week.
So with this upcoming season being Ebron’s biggest (as every new season will be), it’ll be interesting to see if he takes that next step in his career. He has a top-tier quarterback, a stellar offense, and now, another tight end to help him out.
Next: Looking At Rookie TE Michael Roberts
No matter what happens, I know we all want the same thing out of Ebron. No real Lions fan would want him to be a bust. So let’s cheer the guy on and watch as he blossoms into one of the league’s best weapons.