DETROIT — Five players with connections to the state of Utah dot the roster of the Detroit Lions of the National Football League.
Interestingly, all five of those players line up on the defensive side of the ball.
Four of them saw significant action and played key roles Sunday in Detroit’s 24-23 win over the Philadelphia Eagles at Ford Field. The Lions improved to 2-3 and the Eagles fell to 3-1.
With so many players from Utah, the Lions might be one of the most popular NFL teams in the Beehive State. Dozens of fans that attended Sunday's game came from Utah to support two former BYU players — defensive lineman Ezekiel Ansah and linebacker Kyle Van Noy.