Allen Park — Fandom brings out the best in people.
That was evident in the parking lot of MetLife Stadium on Sunday, as a Detroit Lions fan wearing a Penei Sewell jersey was filmed running flawless pass protection sets against his girlfriend. The video, of course, went viral.
The fan was later revealed to be University of New Hampshire offensive lineman Matthew Marvin, who staked claim to his set under the original viral video.
The Detroit News got an exclusive breakdown from Sewell himself on the fan’s form.
“Oh, man. I see nothing but greatness. Start off with the stance, he’s loading up the inside, ready to get out of it,” Sewell said. “Great patience off the line, not oversetting to allow the inside move, and then as you saw right there with his left hand, great job of stabbing the nearest point, knocking the defender off his feet, having him to redirect in any way possible, and then keep the feet moving.
“That’s a money rep.”
Unfortunately for the woman trying to get the edge, Sewell wasn’t so complimentary of the pass rush. But it’s not her fault — she was just facing a great blocker.
“It’s a little rough. We gotta work on that a little bit. You gotta know who you’re going against. It’s a big dude with long arms. You can’t get the arms on you.”
Marvin told The News that he’s looked up to Sewell since his junior year of college, but he’s been running pass protection with his girlfriend, Bridget Ryan, for years — since the two were freshmen. For Halloween this past year, Ryan went as Lions head coach Dan Campbell. Marvin, of course, went as Sewell.
“As an offensive lineman myself, I always appreciate criticism and support. I’m excited about the positivity the video has gotten since Will Parkinson posted it,” Marvin said in a Twitter message. “I’m graduating from the University of New Hampshire as a draft eligible tackle/guard this Spring. I hope the Lions and other teams in the NFL give me a chance.
“I never knew that this was going to blow up, I would have taken my pass set a little more seriously.”
Ryan has also taken seriously the feedback from her one of her favorite Lions players.
“Let Penei know that she said, ‘I know I need to put in that extra work,'” Marvin said.
nbianchi@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @nolanbianchi
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