INTERVIEW: Anthony Pittman talks future of Lions LB room, why Detroit is special

Earlier this week, we ran a story about Amon-Ra St. Brown’s interaction with a Detroit Lions fan and cancer survivor on the sidelines before the team’s Week 10 matchup against the Chicago Bears. While that video went viral, many never heard the story of how it all happened. It turns out Lions linebacker Anthony Pittman played a big part in getting the kid, Lucas Gidelski, on the field that day.

So to talk about that moment—and a lot of other things—we had Pittman on our podcast this week. In it, he revealed how the encounter all came to be and why giving back to Detroit—his hometown city—is so important to him.

“I just feel like as a person I’ve always been a giver,” Pittman told us. “I feel like I’m a real empathetic kind of person, so seeing someone who needs help and is in a situation, I’ve always wanted to help however I can.”

We also talked a little football with Pittman, including the future of a young, promising linebacker group, and an up-and-coming coach in Kelvin Sheppard.

“The thing about Coach Shep is he’s a real genuine dude,” Pittman said. “He’s passionate, he’s a hard worker, he’s very detail-oriented, and he brings all that to his coaching game. So when he coaches us, we know it’s no B.S.”

Pittman has had opportunities to play for different teams throughout his young career, but he explained to us why he it was so important to him to continue to play for the Lions... and even mentioned a shot at a playoff run this year. Check out this exclusive clip from our TikTok page:

We also asked Pittman to give us some local recommendations as a foodie, traveler, and Michigan expert.

We’re holding these special interviews as part of our Movember campaign to support the Alzheimer’s Association. Learn more about our campaign here, or you can donate directly to our campaign here.

Listen to the entire interview below:

Subscribe to the PODcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or iHeartRadio. Follow Pride Of Detroit on Twitch to get notified when we record the PODcast live and chat with us. Video replays are available on Twitch and highlights can be founded on YouTube.