Lions' Josh Paschal discusses why he feels like it's destiny to be playing in Detroit

When he was in college, Josh Paschal's football career took a big hit – he was diagnosed with malignant melanoma, a type of skin cancer, in his left foot.

"Of course, it's going to bring you down when you first hear it. I'd be lying if I said it was easy at first," the now Detroit Lions linebacker said in a recent interview with Fox News Digital.

But he returned and played himself into becoming a second-round pick in 2022, which he feels is destiny.

Detroit Lions defensive end Josh Paschal (93) rushes during the NFL game between the Detroit Lions and the Minnesota Vikings on October 20, 2024, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, MN.  (Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

"It's just amazing to be around such great leadership. Our front office, our head coach, it’s the best team I’ve ever been around…. This is an amazing experience. This is the closest group I’ve had since I played football. This group, this team just loves each other. We’ve been through adversity, but it just embraces this city and the culture of grit, of pushing through obstacles and adversity. That’s the identity of this team," Paschal said.

That last sentence fits Paschal to a T – as he put his cancer diagnosis, "it's honestly the worst thing that can happen to you in life." 

But his head coach, Dan Campbell, puts it all into perspective.

"Coach Campbell says this all the time, he says everybody in this room is here for a reason.’ And I feel like the reason I’m here, I’ve been through adversity. I've seen it right in the eyes. It's honestly the worst thing that can happen to you in life, and I'm thankful that the Lord guided me through that whole situation," Paschal said. "But I feel like everybody in this room, everybody in our team room when we have team meetings, or no matter if it's coaches or if his players, they've been through the adversity, they know how to get through it, and they are high character."

Detroit Lions defensive end Josh Paschal (93) runs onto the field during player introductions before the start of an NFL football game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Detroit Lions on January 7, 2024 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan.  (Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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Earlier this year, Paschal represented the Jimmy V Foundation as part of the NFL's "My Cause My Cleats" campaign. He became more familiar with the foundation last year and wanted to be a part of the team.

"It’s something that brother put on my radar. And I did some research about it, and then I saw his famous quote, "Don’t ever give up" in his ESPY speech. I was extremely motivated and moved by that, and that pushed me toward wanting to work with them," said Paschal.

After feeling down about his football fate following the diagnosis, he said his family, friends, and faith "slapped me out of it."

"And that was the opportunity for me to use the mantra that Jimmy V did of "don't ever give up." That just allowed me to keep fighting, because I feel like that mindset, it carries over to everything in life, but it also correlates directly to when you're fighting that cancer."

Detroit Lions defensive lineman Josh Paschal (93) during a preseason NFL football game between the Detroit Lions and the Carolina Panthers on August 25, 2023, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. (John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Now, Paschal could be less than two months away from bringing the Lions their first ever Super Bowl.

"I just feel like as a better, just keep getting better. You want to play your best football going into January. So we will just be able to keep growing each and every week, keep performing. Both sides are playing great – we let up way too many points this past game, so we gotta bounce back. But all that matters with a team like us is how we bounce back."

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