The Detroit Lions offseason program starts on Tuesday, and if history is any indicator there will be strong player attendance even though it's technically voluntary right now. In recent years, the organization has made an effort to improve things for the players at Allen Park, and the team's success is an easy tentacle of that effort.
The Lions again got a lot of good marks on the NFLPA's report card this year. But one area players saw as the most lacking was the locker room, with just a C+ grade. Per the survey, the size of individual lockers was a repeated concern cited by players.
A year ago or so, Lions' team president Rod Wood said the training room, which players had noted was too small for their liking in NFLPA surveys, would double in size. So it was fair to assume the locker room would be remodeled somewhere along the way too.
At the most recent league meetings, Wood teased changes being made to the locker room at the team facility as a investment fueled by increased revenue.
"We’re doing a lot of renovation to Allen Park again this year, brand new locker room for the players, Wood said. "Expanding the weight room, all new weight equipment," Wood said. "Staying contemporary with all those things is helped by that kind of revenue, as well as increases in revenue elsewhere.”
Lions reveal huge changes to locker room at practice facility.
On Monday evening, ahead of the start of the offseason program on Tuesday, the Lions posted a video showing the changes made to the locker room at the practice facility. Honolulu Blue-tinged lights illuminate the floor under each locker adds some ambiance.
A 30-second clip can't show everything that has been done. But we see that each locker has its own padded chair, along with what looks like a secure cubby with a keypad lock.
As expected, Lions' reporters who spend a lot of time in that locker room have noted the drastic improvements. Based on what is able to seen via interviews with players at their lockers, it's a massive overhaul. Upgrading the locker room at Ford Field would seem to be next on the docket, but John Maakaron of SI.com has reported there are no current plans for that.
