Detroit Lions rookie Miles Killebrew doesn't have a starting gig, but he does have a beer celebrating his name.
Fort Street Brewery in Lincoln Park, Michigan, announced it created a "Killebrew IPA," named after the Lions safety.
"I guess it was a play on my name," the rookie told ESPN.com. "Killebrew. So they wanted to do that there. It was a cool experience."
Cute, Fort Street Brewery. Very cute. The brewery's website describes the "Killebrew IPA" as "light in body and malt character and rich in fruity and piney notes." (Personally, as a beer drinker, I love a good IPA, but not a huge fan of ones with fruity notes. However, what self-respecting Lions fan [of age] wouldn't at least give it a try if he or she stumbled into that establishment?)
Killebrew toured the brewery last month and said he's flattered by the attention -- hopefully the fine folks at Fort Street offer the fourth-round pick a solid kickback for the use of his name (and the recognition that comes with it).
As for the safety's on-field acumen, "Killebrew" could also define how he plays: downhill, with a ferocious hitting style.
Listen to NFL Media's Draft Analyst Mike Mayock gush about the rookie at this year's combine:
Killebrew has a good shot at winning a starting gig alongside free safety Glover Quin. The battle for the Lions' strong safety spot during training camp and preseason should be between Killebrew, Rafael Bush, Isaiah Johnson and Tavon Wilson.
Given his hard-hitting style, Killebrew could step into the physical, run-stuffing role James Ihedigbo filled the last two seasons in Detroit. The question is how fast he can pick up the mental aspect.
"Where he's going to fit in, not quite sure at this point because he's got probably a steeper learning curve than some of the others in terms of playing against a caliber of football player that he sees play in and play out here," defensive coordinator Teryl Austin told the team's official website this offseason. "But I think he's very smart, very conscientious. He's got the ability that we saw on tape, so now it just becomes a matter of how fast he can translate that to us."
Compared to Kam Chancellor prior to the draft, if Killebrew can leap the mental hurdles early as a rookie, the Lions' brass could have found a perfect complementary safety pair.Â
