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Detroit Lions John Penisini's big difference between college and NFL: 'They yell at you'

Like a lot of rookies, Detroit Lions defensive tackle John Penisini didn’t know what to expect when it came to the demanding nature of the NFL.

But the sixth-round pick from Utah quickly learned that in the NFL every single minute, technical detail matters. And coaches aren’t shy about reminding him of that.

“They focus on everything, even the little things,” Penisini said Thursday. “If like my elbows are out, like I start getting my elbows out and not tucked in. Footwork, hand placement.

“And It’s like little things that in college if I did get knocked back, crappy hand placement, they would be like, ‘Oh, it’s OK.