Detroit Lions: Hiring Chris Spielman, bringing in Barry Sanders to advise

The Detroit Lions announced the hiring of Chris Spielman to act as an assistant to Rod Wood with Barry Sanders set to help with GM/Head Coach search.

The Detroit Lions shared some news today that is bound to make plenty of fans happy. The team released a statement to the public announcing that Chris Spielman is being hired to work hand in hand with Rod Wood as “Special Assistant to Chairman and President & CEO.”

This announcement brings along with it a collective sigh of relief amongst a fan base that has voiced its qualms about not having a “football guy” in the important meetings and interviews that will continue to take place in search of a new general manager and head coach.

Spielman is all too familiar with the Lions organization as he was a part of it, as a player, for eight seasons from 1988-1995. Popular among Lions fans for holding the team record for all-time tackles, Spielman will bring to the table not only his experience as a player but also his more recent impressive resume as a Fox Sports announcer and radio personality.

Detroit Lions Twitter released both Sheila Ford Hamp and Chris Spielman’s statements regarding the hire. Sheila stated,

"“Chris Spielman has been a tremendous brand ambassador the Detroit Lions since the day he first put on a uniform…He brings great passion for people and the game of football, and we are thrilled to have him on board to help lead our team”."

Following that up, Spielman himself said,

"“To Lions fans everywhere, I will do everything in my power to help Mrs. Hamp and the Ford family achieve their vision of something we can all be proud of”."

That’s not all; shortly following the announcement of the Spielman hiring, the Lions also notified the public that they would be using a council of advisors to aid in their hiring search. Mark Hollis, Rod Graves, and the G.O.A.T. himself, Barry Sanders, will also be sitting in to help with the hiring deliberations.