While he is still far from making it to the Hall of Fame, Detroit Lions rookie Ahmed Hassanein had a Hall of Fame Game to remember.
While the Lions lost to the Los Angeles Chargers, 31-7, in the annual friendly affair to kick off the preseason, the 23-year-old defensive end announced himself to the NFL. He tackled Chargers running back Nyheim Miller-Hines in the final play of the second quarter and had a pumped-up reaction afterward.
The solid play of Hassanein, who was drafted by Detroit in the sixth round out of Boise State, earned him praises from fans.
“Lions DL Ahmed Hassanein (@A_Hassanein91) squeezes/surfs his gap & makes the tackle! #StopTheRun #OnePride,” said @dlinevids1, while sharing a video of the defensive stop.
Lions DL Ahmed Hassanein (@A_Hassanein91) squeezes/surfs his gap & makes the tackle! #StopTheRun #OnePride pic.twitter.com/OVsR79oXcg
— DLineVids (@dlinevids1) August 1, 2025
@BJRains also posted Hassanein's highlight play and added: “Boise State’s Ahmed Hassanein getting some love after a nice tackle to end the first half.”
Boise State’s Ahmed Hassanein getting some love after a nice tackle to end the first half. pic.twitter.com/RhxJhw522E
— B.J. Rains (@BJRains) August 1, 2025
“Ahmed Hassanein ended the first half with a great tackle, and the Chargers started walking off with 20 seconds left. And Ahmed was mad that they were walking off. Dude just got a half-ending stop, and he wanted another shot at them. Grade A Football Psycho, and I'm here for it,” observed @HeyJoeBaby.
“Man, you can really see the high motor from Ahmed Hassanein,” echoed @DetroitPodcast.
“Ahmed Hassanein and Isaac TeSlaa were absolutely amazing. Rooting for them and (Dominic) Lovett,” posted @allysantorino.
Lions reporter Dannie Rogers, meanwhile, posed a good question: “What do we think of Ahmed Hassanein’s celly? I love it. Lol.”
After the game, the Lions newcomer opened up on the entire experience.
“It's a lot to learn from. It felt really good to be out there. It's almost like a moment of disbelief for me. I cried at the beginning of the game just because I couldn't believe someone like me have come so far,” said Hassanein, the first player of Egyptian heritage to be drafted in the NFL, as reported by The Detroit Times.
The Lions will return to action in the preseason on August 8 against the Atlanta Falcons.
