By Michael Stets
ALLEN PARK–In 2017, Detroit Lions tight end Eric Ebron will try to accomplish something he hasn’t been able to do since entering the league in 2014 — avoid injuries and play in all 16 games.
“My biggest thing this year is just to try to healthy,” Ebron told reporters on Tuesday. “I’ll be well beyond anything I’ve done yet if I can just maintain my health, but that’s my biggest thing this year. That’s my biggest thing going forward. We will just see how the dice rolls.”
Lions General Manager Bob Quinn recently picked up the fifth-year option on Ebron’s rookie contract, which will pay the the Newark, N.J. native a little over $8 million in 2018. And for that, he’s very grateful.
“I appreciate it,” said Ebron, who also mentioned he and Quinn have opened up dialogue on a possible long-term deal. “It just shows that they have confidence in me [and] trust in me to, you know, continue to be better, do better, and look to me as a piece of the puzzle of what they are trying to do for the future. I’m just appreciative of it.”
Ebron, 24, had his best statistical season in 2016, finishing with 61 receptions, 711 yards and two total touchdowns (one rushing & one receiving). He started the year banged up from an ankle injury he suffered in the annual Mock Game at Ford Field in August, and missed three games during October with ankle and knee injuries. After missing three games in 2016, two in 2015, and three in his rookie season in 2014, Ebron feels strongly he can showcase his full potential as long as he remains off the injury report.
“I believe in my abilities and the things that I can do,” said Ebron, wearing a new chain that said “Oliver Dash,” which is the name of his son, who his due in October. “So if I can just stay healthy, I’ll just prove what I should’ve proved years ago. And that’s hopefully with health.”
So what has he been doing this off-season to prepare his body for another rigorous 16-game schedule?
“Taking account of my body a lot. I do Pilates now, don’t tell anybody,” he said, drawing laughs. “I do a lot of things that can help my body, my core, my muscles and everything just staying stronger and as flexible as I can be for this rough and long season.”
The 10th overall pick of the 2014 draft described his first Pilates experience. “I was shaking really bad, my legs, my core, my whole body was shaking really bad,” he said. “That’s all I can remember. And I could not stop sweating to save my life. As my girl’s belly is getting big I told her I’d try to tighten mine up. so we can balance it out.”
When told he was “looking trim,” he said “I keep it sexy,” drawing more laughs.
Oliver is due on October 27, which is right after the Lions’ bye week and before their Week 8 Sunday night showdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers. “Yeah, he better come on the bye week,” Ebron said, smiling. “I told her that. I’m not missing that Steelers game. She can hang that up.”
All jokes aside, Ebron remarked on how his life is about to change now that he has a child on the way.
“It’s just different. It makes you look at a lot of things a lot differently. The way you go about every day. The way you spend your money. It counts for everything in life. So, it just puts a lot of things into perspective. And some of the things like this, playing football, playing for what you are playing for now, it changes that. Pretty much your attitude towards attacking every day and things like that. It’s more motivation than it is pressure for me.”