DETROIT -- Isaac TeSlaa arrived at the Meijer Performance Center for his visit already rocking Honolulu blue.
As the 6-foot-4, 214-pound wide receiver toured the Detroit Lions' facility in Allen Park, Michigan, ahead of the 2025 NFL draft, he sported a customized team jersey with his name and his high school number -- No. 10 -- on the back.
The Hudsonville, Michigan, native grew up a lifelong Lions fan and had owned the shirt for some years, alongside the many other Lions jerseys in his closet, including those of Calvin Johnson, Matthew Stafford, Ndamukong Suh, D'Andre Swift and, most recently, his new teammates -- wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and running back Jahmyr Gibbs.
"I thought he just did a cheesy move, just some fanboy stuff, and I was like, 'Come on, he didn't put a Lions jersey on.' But no, he said, 'No, I've had this since the eighth grade. What better time to wear it than now?'" Lions general manager Brad Holmes said. "And so, I really respected that. But he truly grew up as a Lions fan through and through. But obviously that is not why we were excited to go up there and pick him."
On Day 2 of the draft, TeSlaa received an authentic Lions uniform of his own after Holmes moved up 32 spots to land the former Arkansas playmaker in the third round with the 70th overall pick.
For a kid whose Lions ties go back to 1989 -- when his father, Mark TeSlaa, first became a Lions fan (before Isaac was born) upon the franchise drafting eventual Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders -- though it seems like a cliché, it was truly a dream come true.
"It's much better to be wearing my own number with my name on the back and just go out here and make plays and just learn the offense and just be a part of this," TeSlaa said during rookie minicamp last week. "It's awesome."
As a 10-year-old, TeSlaa's early Christmas present was a Dec. 22, 2012, trip to the Lions' home game at Ford Field. There, he and his family witnessed Hall of Famer Johnson break Jerry Rice's single-season receiving yards record in an 11-catch, 225-yard performance against the Atlanta Falcons. All these years later, TeSlaa's parents still own the souvenir cup from that experience. Now, they're looking to make new memories with their son on the roster.
"We ended up going to church the next day and there were people with Lions jerseys on and they taped it over the top of the last name in the back and wrote 'TeSlaa,'" said Mark, who played wide receiver at Division II Hillsdale College in Michigan from 1992 to 1996. "So, they were, like, super pumped to even see Isaac coming to church the next day, so that's cool."
TeSlaa was viewed as a sleeper pick entering the draft, due to his speed and explosion at his size, but he still has work to do as a route runner.
The rookie "was born to be a Lion," according to assistant general manager Ray Agnew, who said TeSlaa will work to find his role in a crowded room led by All-Pro St. Brown and 2022 first-round pick Jameson Williams.
The organization sees him as a player who can play in the slot and on the outside. TeSlaa also excels as a blocker and could see time on special teams.
"What stood out in his Senior Bowl is, like, when you go into team period and he's blocking, he was just wearing those DBs out, I mean just wearing them out," Agnew said of TeSlaa. "And then the guy catches the ball. Everything is with his hands, he barely ever uses his body. Tough kid, good run after the catch. We're excited about him. I think he's got a ways to go. I think the upside this kid has, he's got a chance to be a really good player for us."
In high school, TeSlaa led Hudsonville Unity Christian near Grand Rapids, Michigan, to an MHSAA Division 5 state title in 2018 as a quarterback. The title game was played at Ford Field.
TeSlaa joining the hometown team is surreal for his former high school coach Craig Tibbe and former athletic director Jeff Engbers. Before the draft, TeSlaa returned to the school to speak and hold a Q&A session for a couple hundred students. The two men were struck by how far he has come.
"You know he was kind of an average young man. I don't think he was necessarily a complete standout, a good athlete. I would remember him well in basketball," Engbers said. "He was probably the eighth, ninth, seventh guy ... he didn't play tons, but when he would play, he could jump through the roof. He would have these dunks that were awesome. Just a super athlete. And a great long jumper, so a three-sport athlete. Great family."
TeSlaa eventually improved. After two-plus seasons at Hillsdale College (2020-22), including a 1,325 yard campaign in 2022, he transferred to Arkansas, where he played two seasons (2023-24) and ranked 12th in FBS in yards per reception in 2024 (19.5).
Nate Shreffler, who was TeSlaa's head coach at Hillsdale, is proud of his former star and hopes his journey to the NFL will create a path for future prospects to also take a nontraditional route to the league.
"I know that he had more highlights in one of our games than he did probably the entire time he was at Arkansas, so a lot of people aren't going to be familiar with his skill set. But once that shows up, the people that are here at Hillsdale are going to be the least surprised because we saw it for two years when he was playing for us," Shreffler said. "I think his best years are ahead of him still and he's gonna do a great job for the Lions."
Now that the emotions have passed of being drafted to his favorite team, TeSlaa is ready to leave his mark on the field.
"I think this is where I was born to be and God has blessed me with the opportunity to come out here and be a part of it," TeSlaa said.