Ennis Rakestraw: Not Everything Goes Your Way

Detroit Lions cornerback Ennis Rakestraw was preparing to start as the team's starting nickel cornerback in Week 2 of the 2024 NFL season.
In warmups, just prior to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers game, the second-round pick got hurt. The injury was the start of unfortunate circumstances for Rakestraw, as he was limited to just eight appearances total in 2024.
“I actually was (going to) have an opportunity to play. That was gonna be the Tampa Bay week, and I was coming up as the starting nickel that week," said Rakestraw. "A lot of people didn’t know that. I got hurt in warmups, that was kind of a set-back, a step back. So now I’ve just got to be available. It kind of was a redshirt year, but you don’t get to pick those situations. You don’t pick to be hurt, I never picked that for myself. I always wanted to go out there with guys like Terrion and B.B, just the intensity that they bring and the type of team that we had. I’m gonna just take everything that I watched from them and learned from them and develop my game in the offseason and be a better person and be available.”
The hamstring injury lingered for the majority of the season, rendering his rookie season not all that impactful for the Lions.
Injuries limited his work during minicamp, as he had a sports hernia in college. After a strong training camp, the injury bug bounced back and limited what he was able to provide for the team.
“All I was doing was being competitive. That’s how I got here, being competitive and willing as a tackler and physical. I think I displayed that enough that I was gonna be able to show it Week 2, it just didn’t go my way," said Rakestraw. "I just stayed prayed up. Every situation that came to me, ask anybody in the training room, anybody in the building, I took it on the chin.
"I kept going, showed face and smiled every day. It just didn’t go my way," Rakestraw continued. "In some aspects of life, not everything goes your way. It’s not about that no more, it’s the next step. We already lost, game’s over with. Now, let’s develop a new habit, a new body and be available.”
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— Ennis Rakestraw Jr (@EnnisRakestraw) January 26, 2025
This offseason, Rakestraw vows to put in the work in order to come back stronger in 2025 and be more available to contribure in Kelvin Sheppard's defense.
“I’m gonna be at the Star in Texas, where I trained in my draft process," Rakestraw noted. "I’ve got a lot of resources, Kerby (Joseph), B.B. (Brian Branch) and (Terrion Arnold) T.A., they’ve got a lot of DB trainers that they’re gonna go to. I’m gonna venture off and keep building our brotherhood and going places with them to DB trainers. Building a stronger relationship with them, because I didn’t get to actually play this year.”
In 2024, the former Missouri Tigers defensive back missed nine games and played 46 defensive snaps. Now, he's focused on strengthening his body in an effort to be available more moving forward.
“Body-wise I feel great. I’m just sad the season ended the way it did. I came in hurt, sports hernia, I was already hurt," Rakestraw said. "I came here, was limited, they did a great job with me in the training room. Got hurt again with my hamstring, they built my hamstring up all the way to where I felt great. The season didn’t go our way, so I couldn’t display it. It’s okay, I’ll be back.”