Lions Celebrate Career Backup Dan Skipper in Locker Room After First Career Start

The 27-year-old has been on six different NFL teams, but had never started in a game until Sunday.

The Lions won their first game of the season on Sunday, taking down the Commanders 36–27.

Not only was the locker room hype after the win, but the Lions also celebrated their offensive tackle Dan Skipper on his first NFL start.

Skipper went undrafted in 2017, and has since joined six different NFL teams. However, he had never made a 53-man roster until this year in Detroit.

“Hey, Skip, nice freaking job,” coach Dan Campbell yelled.

This was followed by “Skip” chants from the rest of the Lions locker room.

The 27-year-old was brought to tears.

6⃣th year in the @NFL, making his first career start playing position he's never played in the league. @DanSkipper70 answered the challenge. pic.twitter.com/T9RN2lmEXc

— Detroit Lions (@Lions) September 19, 2022

On top of Sunday being Skipper’s first NFL start, it was also the first time he played left guard in his career. This change was due to various injuries on the Lions roster with guards and centers.

After the game, Skipper opened up about what the day meant to him.

“It just really comes full circle,” Skipper said, via Pride of Detroit. “It’s hard to explain. I don’t know. It’s kind of the first — it kind of makes everything all worth it. All the chaos and the trials. Having [my family] here and playing, it’s just kinda the cherry on top.”

Skipper remains on the roster as the backup left tackle, but if injuries continue to plague the offensive line, the 27-year-old could see more action on the field soon.

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