Allen Park — The conditioning hill installed by the previous regime looms behind the north end zone at the Detroit Lions practice facility. These days, it’s largely unused, other than providing a vantage point for photographers or a source of amusement for the children of players and coaches after a day of practice.
Offensive guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai certainly doesn’t miss it.
“No comment,” he said with a laugh when asked about it on Friday.
Sure, no 330-pounder is eager to run several sprints up an incline after a grueling day of work, but what some don’t know is that hill was the source of the foot injury that derailed his first season with the Lions.
A top free-agent target for the franchise a year ago, the Lions praised Vaitai for his versatility after signing him to a five-year, $45 million contract and had penciled him in as the starting right tackle. Unfortunately for him, the foot injury he suffered shortly before the start of the regular season would alter the course of his year.
Vaitai would miss the first two games, and when he returned, he still wasn’t 100%. Because Tyrell Crosby was performing well in his stead, and the Lions thinking they could better hide some of Vaitai’s mobility issues by shifting him inside, he transitioned to guard starting in Week 3 until lingering pain in the foot landed him on injured reserve in November.
Despite the pain, and the subsequent struggles, Vaitai never complained. Not that such an approach is surprising for a football player, particularly an offensive lineman.
“You know, you just push through things,” Lions offensive line coach Hank Fraley said. “This is the best you’re going to feel until probably March, anyway. It doesn’t matter — foot, thumb, finger, look at me, I jammed my finger taking snaps — you just push through it. It doesn’t matter. It’s a mindset a lot of times.”
That timeline meshes for Vaitai. It wasn’t until the spring, when the Lions returned for OTA practices, that he finally knew the foot injury was behind him.
It was also during the offseason, the Lions permanently moved him to guard, making room for first-round draft pick Penei Sewell to handle right tackle moving forward.
Vaitai only had 63 regular-season snaps at either guard spot prior to signing with the Lions. He added more than 280 additional guard reps to the resume last year, so despite the reputation for versatility, it’s still pretty new.
“At guard, everything happens quicker,” Vaitai said. “I don’t kick as much. Got help on both sides — got the tackle, got the center. And just different rules. Different rules, different terminology between the center and guard. But it’s just one of those things, if the coach needs you, I’ll be there to step up and help the team win.”
How quickly Vaitai and Sewell get acclimated to their new positions, respectively, as well as working with each other, will determine how quickly the Lions’ offensive line is able to meet and potentially exceed lofty expectations for the unit.
jdrogers@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Justin_Rogers