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Detroit Lions head coach Steve Mariucci has made two trips to coach in Hawaii. The first was the 1997 Aloha Bowl when he was the head coach at the University of California. The second time was the 1998 Pro Bowl, when he was then the mentor for the San Francisco 49ers. Both times he coached in the nation's 50th state, he had an eager, and promising young man holding the cord for him.
Fast forward a few years down the road, and that same young man—although now a little stronger but still eager—is now holding down Mariucci's offensive line. Oh, and he plays center for the Detroit Lions.
That young man was Dominic Raiola, who is now the Lions starting center and a native of Honolulu, Hawaii.
Even though Raiola made an impression on Mariucci as the cable holder, the third-year veteran is making an even bigger impact on the new head coach through his leadership and play on the field.
“He’s athletic, I like his athleticism because he can snap; he can pull; he can make the calls," Mariucci said. "For a center to be able pull like a guard can after you snap the ball, not everyone can do that. He can do that.”
Raiola's career has taken off after the Lions selected him with the 50th-overall pick in the 2001 NFL Draft. He played in all 16 games his rookie season, but in a reserve role. Then, when 2002 rolled around, he had surpassed Eric Beverly on the depth chart and started every contest.
He is taking the next step this season with an increased leadership role.
Even team President and CEO Matt Millen has been impressed with Raiola so far.
"You can really see a difference in Dominic Raiola. He is making jumps," Millen said. "I noticed the guys are asking him and going to him for all the calls. Dominic is really smart and he is going to have a good year."
Fast forward a few years down the road, and that same young man—although now a little stronger but still eager—is now holding down Mariucci's offensive line. Oh, and he plays center for the Detroit Lions.
That young man was Dominic Raiola, who is now the Lions starting center and a native of Honolulu, Hawaii.
Even though Raiola made an impression on Mariucci as the cable holder, the third-year veteran is making an even bigger impact on the new head coach through his leadership and play on the field.
“He’s athletic, I like his athleticism because he can snap; he can pull; he can make the calls," Mariucci said. "For a center to be able pull like a guard can after you snap the ball, not everyone can do that. He can do that.”
Raiola's career has taken off after the Lions selected him with the 50th-overall pick in the 2001 NFL Draft. He played in all 16 games his rookie season, but in a reserve role. Then, when 2002 rolled around, he had surpassed Eric Beverly on the depth chart and started every contest.
He is taking the next step this season with an increased leadership role.
Even team President and CEO Matt Millen has been impressed with Raiola so far.
"You can really see a difference in Dominic Raiola. He is making jumps," Millen said. "I noticed the guys are asking him and going to him for all the calls. Dominic is really smart and he is going to have a good year."
