Aidan Hutchinson prefers gridiron to greens at Rocket Mortgage Classic celebrity scramble

The nerves on the golf course trump the nerves on the football field for star Detroit Lions pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson.

The Lions' Pro Bowl defensive lineman was one of six celebrities who participated in the Rocket Mortgage Classic celebrity scramble event on Tuesday, along with Lions legend Calvin Johnson, Red Wings forward Andrew Copp (filling in for Tom Izzo, who had to withdraw), former Michigan basketball star Chris Webber, WWE wrestler The Miz and Sam Merrill of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Hutchinson, a lefty for golf, had up and down moments in the three-hole scramble event, including a birdie putt from over 10 feet, sticking a wedge to 10 feet, and topping a drive and letting out a loud expletive while laughing, drawing a cheer from the crowd.

"It's a little more nerve-wracking out there," Hutchinson said after. "However, I did contribute two shots to the group, so I am happy with that."

WELCOME TO THE 313:PGA Tour players welcomed by 'luscious' and wet course at Detroit Golf Club

All things Lions: Latest Detroit Lions news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

Johnson and Hutchinson's group, led by PGA Tour golfers Will Zalatoris and 2023 Rocket Mortgage winner Rickie Fowler, played together in the three-hole competition, covering Nos. 14-16. The faces of the Lions' past and present spent a lot of time chatting with each other between shots and signed autographs for fans decked out in Honolulu blue along the ropes on each hole.

"He gave me a hard time on my little wedge shot because he hit one kind of close," Johnson said of Hutchinson, laughing. "He contributed his one shot so I'll give him that."

Before the event kicked off, Hutchinson praised Johnson for his presence around the Lions during the offseason, saying just being around him rubs off on others to try to achieve the same greatness.

"Him being around the facilities now these days, I feel like him showing his face and having that gold jacket, he's just such a legend man," Hutchinson said. "He doesn't have to say much to be inspired by him."

Entering his third year in the league, Hutchinson said his focus this offseason has been continuity so he can grow in terms of impact and how he sees the game. Hutchinson finished with 11½ sacks and 14 tackles for loss in 2023, building off a debut campaign in which he finished second in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting in 2022.

"The biggest thing is consistency," Hutchinson said of his offseason goals. "I think it's consistency with working out, with a diet, with nutrition — with everything. I feel like that consistency continues to stack up every year, along with knowledge of the game. And as those two things are rising, we're just continuing to level up as a player."

Hutchinson said the goal of the upcoming season was "for sure" winning the first Super Bowl in franchise history, but said that window of winning could be open for the foreseeable future thanks to the core of players assembled by general manager Brad Holmes.

"I think everyone has put everything into this upcoming year and I feel like the years to come as well." Hutchinson said. "Because it's not our last year we're all playing. We have a lot of great players on this team and I think we could just have repeated success over the next few years."

Megatron digs Motor City's direction

Johnson has been a metro Detroit resident since the Lions selected him with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2007 draft. Over the past 17 years, Johnson has built a Hall of Fame career, established business ties in the city with his company Primitiv and reestablished a relationship with the team after an initially sour retirement.

After the celebrity scramble, Johnson reflected on the progress of his city since he arrived 17 years ago, highlighting the positive momentum that has been created recently throughout the city and by the Lions specifically.

"I've been here 17 years, I've seen it," Johnson said on Detroit's positive momentum. "I feel it, I see it. I see it happening with the team. It's a beautiful thing. In downtown, you see people out there walking. Walking the riverfront, walking downtown at night. That's different."