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One thing you can count on with the Detroit Lions is that they are never, ever boring. Follow the latest news including injuries, roster moves and more here daily from Oakland Press beat writer Paula Pasche. Plus you'll find regular commentary about the team.

5/05/2009

Stanton speaks on Stafford, his 'uphill battle'

Drew Stanton, the odd man out in the Lions' quarterback mix now that No. 1 pick Matthew Stafford is on board, spoke about that draft choice and his lack of anything resembling an opportunity in his two seasons in Detroit after the Lions' OTA workout Tuesday.

“It's one of those things that's going to be an uphill battle, I'm aware of that,” Stanton said. “But it's a challenge that I'm going to have to try and overcome. But you get challenged every day you come out on this football field. It's not just me, there's a lot of other guys. And the draft's going to change everybody's playing field, we're aware of that, and you got to come in here and perform.”

Stanton took the No. 2 quarterback reps behind Daunte Culpepper Tuesday, but he'll no doubt be relegated to third string when Stafford is eligible to return to the team in two weeks. Culpepper is the starter for now, and the Lions are sending Stafford the film and script of the six offseason workouts he'll miss in order to keep him up to speed.

Culpepper declined to speak to the media Tuesday, and Stanton said no one from the organization has said let him in on their plans for his future.

“Hopefully we'll get a better understanding of what direction we're headed in, but that's not going to change what I'm about and who I am and how I go about my business,” he said.

He said he has no plans to ask for a trade or his release, and said “that's not even a fair question” when asked if he'd have a more realistic opportunity to succeed somewhere else.

In his first two seasons, Stanton has played in just three games and attempted 17 passes. He was stashed on injured reserve as a rookie, had his mechanics overhauled by Mike Martz, and is on this third offensive coordinator and third quarterback coach as a Lion.

“I'm still here, so until I'm no longer here and don't get a shot, that's when we can look back and say that, but right now I'm a Detroit Lion and as long as that is a fact then I'm going to go about my business,” Stanton said. “This is only going on my third season, so it's one of those things that it doesn't always happen the same way for everybody in this league. Not everybody's Matt Ryan, not everybody's Peyton Manning, some people are Tom Brady. Everybody else has a unique case. It's one of those things if you continue to work hard good things are going to happen.”

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3 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

it's comments like these that make me want for him to get a fair shot in detroit. if it doesn't work out here, i wish him the best of luck wherever he ends up.

1:50 PM 
Anonymous Steve said...

Sorry Drew. Wish we would have given you more of a shot. But atleast if things don't work out you did throw an NFL TD pass. Did he ever get that ball?

1:51 PM 
Blogger Lionsfan4ever said...

I'm a HUGE Stanton fan and would love for him to get more time on the field. He knows all about struggling and he doesn't give up...that's what I liked about him when he played for MSU. Give the guy a REAL QB coach who stays with the Lions for more than one season and let him develop. Hopefully, we'll also make the QB position more important than in the past (good QB's but no O-line to protect them). Let's hope that this is the beginning of a new era in Lions football!!

4:21 PM 

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