Former Bronco Louis Delmas To Start for Lions in Second Preseason Game

(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Former Western Michigan Broncos football great Louis Delmas will suit up and start for the Detroit Lions tonight against the Cleveland Browns. It's the Lions second preseason game out of four and the first for Delmas.

The rookie safety has been held out of most of the practices during training camp and preseason because of a nagging left knee injury that he aggravated in just his first practice in full pads.

Lions head coach Jim Schwartz doesn't have any reservations on whether the second round pick is ready to contribute in the defensive backfield.

"There's not much that's too big for him when you step up—whether it's stepping up with the rookies, stepping up with the vets, stepping up in a training camp practice," he said. "I would seriously doubt if it's going to be too big for him in a preseason game."

Schwartz has also said that while Delmas has missed a lot of precious time on the field, he's been a student of the game off of it and that probably contributed to Delmas receiving the starting nod at Cleveland tonight.

As for Delmas, he just can't wait to get onto the field to see if he can contribute for the Lions.

"The speed of the game is the biggest thing for me," Delmas said. "It was an eye-opener coming into [off-season workouts], coming into training camp, the speed of the game in practice. So I'm anxious to see what it's going to be like in the game."

Delmas is expected to start next to free safety Kalvin Pearson in a game that will also feature Matthew Stafford—the No. 1 overall selection in this year's draft—starting for the Lions ahead of veteran Daunte Culpepper.

Game time is set for 8 p.m. and is televised in the Detroit area.

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